Emotionally Focused Therapy: An Evidence-Based Integrative Approach to Relationship Distress – James McCracken, LCSW, PLLC

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Social Work Clinical Lecture Series  

 || Color Slides || printable Handout

When:
Nov. 5, 2018, 12-2pm, Monday

Where:
UNC Chapel Hill School of Social Work Auditorium, 325 Pittsboro St, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 Directions and Parking
**LIVE STREAMING AVAILABLE**

Continuing Education:
2 Hours (details)

Fees:
$35.00

**Current UNC-SSW students, staff, faculty, field instructors, and task supervisors**
Fee Waived

Description:
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an evidence-based practice that integrates humanistic-experiential and systemic interventions guided by attachment theory, is an approach relevant to all psychotherapists even if they don’t practice couple or family format therapies. It provides a lens and strategies to focus on unclear or unstated attachment-related issues that commonly underlie conflicts in relationships. In this workshop, participants will learn about the basis of EFT and its use to shift attention from the content of conflicts that cause difficulty to the emotions and associated needs that lie beneath these conflicts. Participants will receive an introduction to EFT and its application with couples, families and individuals. Information about further training and consultation will be provided.

Trainer:
James McCracken, MSW, LCSW, PLLC is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and ICEEFT Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist and Supervisor-in-Training who operates a private practice in Durham, NC focused on treating relationship distress in couples and families. His professional background includes serving a variety of community-based populations experiencing a variety of problems including relationship distress, psychiatric and serious emotional disorders, addiction disorders, chronic and terminal medical conditions, and extreme psychosocial distress. James believes that by focusing on strengthening clients’ naturally occurring social networks and their abilities to impact those networks, independent of what other problems they may experience, we can facilitate lasting and empowering change. His practice website is located at http://www.jamesmccrackenlcsw.com/Outside of his private practice, James previously held an appointment as clinical faculty at the UNC School of Medicine in the Department of Psychiatry, where was a therapist and state-wide program coordinator in Early Psychosis Intervention services with the OASIS Program. James also co-owns and operates Shelter Each Other, LLC, a relationship enhancement and education organization, and Client Center, LLC, a therapeutic technology services organization.

Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Articulate at least 1 tenet of EFT’s basic theory and science
2. Describe at least 1 way that EFT is rooted in attachment theory
3. Identify the 3 stages of change that guide EFT therapists in working with couples and families
4. Describe at least 2 therapeutic interventions that EFT therapists routinely employ in working with couples and families

References:

• Johnson, S. (2004). The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy: Creating connection. New York, NY: Routledge Press.
• Brubacher, L. (2017). Stepping Into emotionally focused couple therapy: Key ingredients of change. New York, NY: Routledge Press.