Something has sparked your interest in Emotionally Focused Therapy and you want to know about the training and certification journey. Let's get started:
What training counts towards certification?
There is a range of EFT training available in Britain and across the world. However, the only training that must be undertaken as part of your eligibility to apply for certification is:
EFT Externship - a four day immersion in the theory and practice of EFT. It will include one or two live sessions with a couple.
followed by:
Core Skills - a more intense and skills based course developed at 4 modules of 2 days each (though sometimes this is run as 2 sets of 4 days). Numbers are limited on this course to increase your engagement with the learning. Attendance is required as well as presentation about your work with a couple, including a section of one of your therapy sessions with a couple.
These courses are only run by ICEEFT Certified EFT Trainers. The EFT trainers based in Britain are Sandra Taylor and Helene Igwebuike.
All of the course dates for these courses run in Britain are on this website, on the British EFT Centre (BEFT) website and on the ICEEFT website.
There is no time limit between attending your Externship and your Core Skills courses but if you have left it a long time you can usually repeat your Externship for a discounted fee.
You do not have to do your courses with the same trainer(s) or even in the same country - the essence of the courses is the same thought the style of the trainers will differ.
EFT Externship - a four day immersion in the theory and practice of EFT. It will include one or two live sessions with a couple.
followed by:
Core Skills - a more intense and skills based course developed at 4 modules of 2 days each (though sometimes this is run as 2 sets of 4 days). Numbers are limited on this course to increase your engagement with the learning. Attendance is required as well as presentation about your work with a couple, including a section of one of your therapy sessions with a couple.
These courses are only run by ICEEFT Certified EFT Trainers. The EFT trainers based in Britain are Sandra Taylor and Helene Igwebuike.
All of the course dates for these courses run in Britain are on this website, on the British EFT Centre (BEFT) website and on the ICEEFT website.
There is no time limit between attending your Externship and your Core Skills courses but if you have left it a long time you can usually repeat your Externship for a discounted fee.
You do not have to do your courses with the same trainer(s) or even in the same country - the essence of the courses is the same thought the style of the trainers will differ.
What other EFT training is available?
In Britain there are several EFTers running EFT introductory and CPD courses. These may be run internal to an organisation or be open to any interested therapists. Where people have provided BEFT with the details they will be here.
Gulya Diyarova runs an annual International Summer School in London (though it had to be online in 2020) and you can find out information here and on the BEFT website.
You can keep going to our different websites to get this information or, if you are physically based in Great Britain for your work and/or to live then you can join the BEFT Centre, see here. It is free to join and we have an annual conference where we get together as a community and continue to learn EFT. You will also get regular emails giving you news of EFT developments in Britain and some international EFT news.
Gulya Diyarova runs an annual International Summer School in London (though it had to be online in 2020) and you can find out information here and on the BEFT website.
You can keep going to our different websites to get this information or, if you are physically based in Great Britain for your work and/or to live then you can join the BEFT Centre, see here. It is free to join and we have an annual conference where we get together as a community and continue to learn EFT. You will also get regular emails giving you news of EFT developments in Britain and some international EFT news.
How do I get certified as an EFT Therapist?
First of all you have to be eligible to apply, there are international guidelines for this and the ones that Britain has agreed with ICEEFT are:
A. Membership in a recognised professional association. Applicants should either:
1. Be BACP Accredited / UKCP Full Member / or equivalent
Or
2. Be BACP Registered / or equivalent and have a postgraduate degree in a relevant subject.
B. Current clinical therapy practice (must include couples &/or families)
C. Proof of malpractice insurance
D. Membership of ICEEFT
E. You should have completed a minimum of a 4 day course on couples or families. Examples of appropriate courses are: Tavistock Summer School on Couples, Gottman 4 day course, certificate and diploma courses by Marriage Care and Relate.
Courses
You will have completed the Externship and Core Skills courses and on Core Skills you will have presented some of your work with a couple.
EFT Supervision
You will have at least 8 hours of 1-1 (or 2:1) with a certified or candidate EFT supervisor. These sessions can be counted from when you have completed your Externship and the specific feedback you get in these sessions will usually speed up your development as well as help you towards your certification. You can find information about EFT supervisors based in Britain here.
Assignments
You will need to complete several pieces of work that will show your ability as an EFT therapist. This includes case study and recordings of couple sessions covering specific criteria.
EFT Training is radical - it has a basic framework and then it is up to the therapist to work out how they will learn best. For some therapists the journey to certification will take a year while for others it will take several years. Your supervisor is the best resource to help you identify your strengths and areas for development and to support you in this process.
EFT Certification is radical - it isn't based on specific hours of training and supervision beyond the basics, it isn't based on how many hours of therapy you have done or given. Instead it is entirely based on your competence as a therapist.
Check the ICEEFT website for more details.
A. Membership in a recognised professional association. Applicants should either:
1. Be BACP Accredited / UKCP Full Member / or equivalent
Or
2. Be BACP Registered / or equivalent and have a postgraduate degree in a relevant subject.
B. Current clinical therapy practice (must include couples &/or families)
C. Proof of malpractice insurance
D. Membership of ICEEFT
E. You should have completed a minimum of a 4 day course on couples or families. Examples of appropriate courses are: Tavistock Summer School on Couples, Gottman 4 day course, certificate and diploma courses by Marriage Care and Relate.
Courses
You will have completed the Externship and Core Skills courses and on Core Skills you will have presented some of your work with a couple.
EFT Supervision
You will have at least 8 hours of 1-1 (or 2:1) with a certified or candidate EFT supervisor. These sessions can be counted from when you have completed your Externship and the specific feedback you get in these sessions will usually speed up your development as well as help you towards your certification. You can find information about EFT supervisors based in Britain here.
Assignments
You will need to complete several pieces of work that will show your ability as an EFT therapist. This includes case study and recordings of couple sessions covering specific criteria.
EFT Training is radical - it has a basic framework and then it is up to the therapist to work out how they will learn best. For some therapists the journey to certification will take a year while for others it will take several years. Your supervisor is the best resource to help you identify your strengths and areas for development and to support you in this process.
EFT Certification is radical - it isn't based on specific hours of training and supervision beyond the basics, it isn't based on how many hours of therapy you have done or given. Instead it is entirely based on your competence as a therapist.
Check the ICEEFT website for more details.