Comprehensive Assessment in Emotionally Focused Therapy

Comprehensive Assessment in Emotionally Focused Therapy: Foundational Skills for Safe and Effective Couples Therapy

Friday, November 14, 2025

11:00 AM - 6:00 PM Eastern Time (U.S./CAN)

8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Pacific Time (U.S./CAN)

6 CEs included, co-sponsored by CE-classes.com [pending approval]

LIVE ONLINE ONLY

Recording available for 30 days post-training however live attendance is required for CEs

PRESENTED BY: Laura Gambrel, PhD, LMFT, ICEEFT Certified EFT Therapist & AAMFT Supervisor

LEVEL: Intermediate

PREREQUISITE: 4-day EFT Externship recommended

DESCRIPTION:

Through tangible tools, experiential exercises, and case studies, this training equips Emotionally Focused Couples Therapists (EFcT) with the assessment framework needed to evaluate whether EFcT is the right fit for a couple at the time they present for treatment. Therapists will learn to assess readiness and appropriateness for EFCT which is grounded in attachment theory and trauma-informed care. Participants will learn how to recognize and thoroughly assess suitability for EFCT in regard to contraindicators such as active affairs, addiction, and abuse or misaligned goals. Participants will also identify how to differentiate between workable clinical concerns and those requiring a pause or a referral for alternative treatment. Special focus will be given to how to build a working alliance and how to discern whether conditions such as significant trauma or mental illness can be held safely within the couple's work, or if this circumstance requires parallel or pre-requisite treatment. Participants will leave with a clear framework for assessment and referral procedures that support ethical, attuned, and effective therapeutic engagement in EFcT.

Video demonstrations, lecture, PowerPoint, and interactive Q & A will be used to model and practice using the EFT interventions .

PROGRAM OBJECTIVES:

1. Recognize at least three contraindications for EFCT.
2. Explain how to apply attachment theory to discern a couple's readiness and appropriateness for EFCT.
3. Identify competing attachments (e.g., affairs, addiction) or "ambivalence" and how these impact suitability for EFCT.
4. Apply a structured process for assessing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) in EFCT, including screening tools, safety planning considerations, and ethical implications.
5. Demonstrate a framework for developing an effective working alliance with clients as a foundation for couples therapy.
6. Explain an effective process for assessment and treatment recommendations for addressing significant mental illness in EFCT.

YOUR PRESENTERS:

Laura Gambrel, PhD, LMFT

Dr. Laura has over 20 years of experience as a couples therapist, clinical supervisor, and mindfulness instructor. In supervision and training, she brings together experiential and somatic-based therapies with regulatory strategies and concrete communication skills to help even the most challenging of couples to connect authentically. She is an ICEEFT certified Emotionally- Focused Couples Therapist (EFT), as well trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy, and the Satir Model. Dr. Laura spent the last 10 years in academia as a professor, researcher, and scholar with a focus on mindfulness in relationships. As an AAMFT Approved Supervision, the training and supervision she offers as the clinical director at Inside Passage Counseling are based on integrating cutting edge neuroscience and systemic family research, decades of clinical experience, and mindfulness studies. Having trained hundreds of therapists, she knows how to adapt supervision and training to best serve each individual supervisee. Her two core passions are enhancing couple relationships, and helping others to do the same! She lives in Bellingham, Washington with her husband and three children.

Marni Feuerman, MSW, PsyD, LCSW, LMFT

Dr. Marni is a licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, and an ICEEFT Certified EFT Supervisor in EFcT, EFiT, and EFFT. She is also trained to Level III in the Gottman Method and is a Certified Discernment Counselor, supporting couples navigating the decision of whether to repair or end their relationship. With a pracitce based in South Florida, Dr. Marni specializes in systemic individual, couple, and family therapy and serves as Director of the South Florida Community for EFT. Alongside her clinical work, she is a published author, freelance writer, and a frequently sought-after media contributor on topics of relationships, love, marriage, dating, and divorce. Outside of her professional life, Dr. Marni lives in Boca Raton with her husband and rescue pup, Ginger, while her identical twin daughters reside in Washington, D.C. She enjoys traveling, staying active, playing pickleball, cooking, and unwinding with a good dose of true crime TV.

6 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS SPNSORED BY CE-CLASSES.COM - NO EXTRA FEE!

COMPLETE PROGRAM DETAILS, CE DETAILS, RULES, EXCLUSIONS, REGISTRATION FEES, F.A.Q., ETC. IS ON MAIN WEBSITE SOUTHFLORIDAEFT.COM

CANCELLATION/REFUND POLICY: 7+ days notice - full refund minus $30 administrative fee. Less than 7 days notice - 50% refund on full registration