What is Emotion Focused Skills Training for Parents/Caregivers and why it might help enhance your practice?

EFST emerges out of Dr. Joanne Dolhanty’s pioneering work empowering parents to adopt a significant role in the recovery of a loved one suffering from a mental health problem. EFST is rooted in the deep and unwavering belief in the healing power of families. We believe that parents are a large part of their loved one’s recovery and this treatment model is meant to help parents and caregivers see for themselves that this is true. 

Often parents will bring their loved one to a mental health clinic and more often than not are left in the waiting room while their loved one meets with professionals. These parents are often left feeling helpless and do not know what their role is in their loved ones struggle, how they could start to repair ruptures in their relationship with their child at any age and/or how they can be part of the solution.  We have found in this skills training program that we can actually help people build their self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is this idea that given that I take on this task how confident am I that I will be successful. Often caregivers feel ready and willing to intervene but they do not feel able. EFST focuses on Navigating Emotions, Enhancing Motivation, and Transforming Relationships to begin to have participants see how capable they truly are to support and intervene. 

This intervention is different from other parent interventions in that it helps caregivers really reflect on themselves, where they get stuck, where they get in their own way and  where they get in their loved ones way. This program is meant to give caregivers the knowledge, awareness of their own “stuff” and skills to intervene and feel able. EFST is a lifespan model, meaning that it is meant to support caregivers with loved ones of any age suffering from a mental health or physical health problem, or other problems such as social or educational struggles. This model can be truly applied in any setting in various relationships.

Professionals have implemented EFST-P, in person and online, in a variety of health care and mental health care settings, including large hospitals, small and large community organizations, and private practice. Professionals utilizing the model include psychotherapists, social workers, child and youth workers, counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, doctors, and others in the helping professions.

If you’re interested in incorporating this intervention into your practice, be it private practice or through a community mental health agency, please contact us expressing your interest and we can discuss when and how we can offer you or your group of clinicians this training. You might also want to explore our “Events” page. Here you will be able to see if we have any upcoming trainings you’d like to join.