LATEST NEWS

Growing a vibrant regional learning community requires creating intentional, open entry points where therapists and students can experience the warmth, clarity, and grounding of Emotionally Focused Therapy.

As Director of RCEFT and an ICEEFT Certified Supervisor, Cornelius Sheehan, LCSW, will be offering an ongoing series of 3-hour live Zoom workshops. In addition, other members of our community with specialty focus areas will also be offering no-cost sessions from time to time—creating a diverse, recurring program that serves as an accessible bridge for clinicians and students curious about attachment-based work:

1. Accessible Entry Points for Learning

By combining no-cost specialty offerings with focused 3-hour Zoom workshops at a reduced student rate ($30) and an accessible general tuition ($60), these programs remove the friction for clinicians wanting to explore new ways of working. They provide simple, manageable ways to get a real feel for the model across various focus areas.

2. Practical Tools for Immediate Use

Clinicians new to attachment-focused therapy often want to know what the work looks like in action. These workshops focus on foundational, practical skills—such as recognizing emotional blocks to caregiving in families or listening for primary distress beneath protective fighting and silence in couples. Participants walk away with clear insights they can immediately bring into their clinical practice—no prior EFT training required.

3. Building Connection Together

Therapy can often feel isolating, especially for graduate students and pre-licensed associates navigating early career decisions. Hosting live, interactive Zoom programs brings local and regional therapists together in a supportive space to connect with peers, learn from different community leaders, and experience a welcoming professional home.

4. An Open Door to the RCEFT Community

For therapists looking to expand their confidence across diverse clinical areas, this ongoing mix of introductory workshops and no-cost specialty sessions offers a clear, friendly pathway into our broader learning network, ongoing peer consultation groups, and clinical supervision.

Our Training Community Keeps Moving Forward!

Over the past several months, our regional network of EFT clinicians has reached exciting new milestones. From completing core skill modules to engaging in monthly case consultation groups, therapists across our community continue to deepen their mastery of Emotionally Focused Therapy.

Watching clinicians hone their ability to track negative interactional cycles, access primary emotion, and choreograph powerful bonding events in session is a testament to the dedication in our area. As our community expands, we remain committed to creating accessible opportunities for peer support, ongoing learning, and clinical supervision.

Looking Ahead to the EFT World Summit 2027

The international EFT community has officially confirmed dates and location for the EFT World Summit 2027 in Vancouver, Canada (May 10–11, 2027).

This landmark gathering brings together EFT practitioners, supervisors, and trainers from around the globe to share emerging research, clinical innovations, and advanced interventions across EFCT, EFIT, and EFFT. We encourage all clinicians in our regional community to save the dates early as we prepare a contingent to represent our region in Vancouver.

What’s next for our local network: Stay tuned for upcoming peer consultation dates, guest clinical presentations, and specialized workshops scheduled for early next year!

The Reno-Tahoe EFT community recently had the privilege of hosting ICEEFT Trainer Gail Palmer for a specialized, interactive workshop presented in collaboration with the clinical teams at Thrive Wellness.

Bringing together clinicians, supervisors, and practice leaders from across Northern Nevada, the day centered on a vital and complex topic: integrating Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) into intensive outpatient (IOP) and inpatient care settings for clients navigating eating disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

When treating high-acuity eating disorders and OCD, symptoms often act as protective mechanisms against unbearable emotional distress—while simultaneously creating rigid relational cycles within the family system. Gail demonstrated how applying an attachment lens allows clinicians to move beyond symptom management alone. By accessing the underlying fear, shame, and helplessness driving these conditions, EFFT helps families become active emotional anchors in their loved one’s recovery.

Key Takeaways & Workshop Highlights

• Live Clinical Case Demonstrations: Attendees witnessed two powerful live case demonstrations led by Gail. Watching her step through the EFT Tango with complex, high-acuity family dynamics provided clear, real-world examples of how to track interactional cycles, de-escalate tension, and facilitate deep emotional processing in high-stakes environments.
• Adapting the EFT Tango for Intensive Care: We explored practical frameworks for tailoring the five steps of the EFT Tango specifically for IOP and inpatient environments. Participants looked at how to structure family sessions to interrupt symptom-driven patterns, foster parental self-efficacy, and build secure attachment bonds that sustain long-term healing.
• Reframing Family Involvement: Rather than viewing family members as passive bystanders or sources of stress, the training highlighted strategies to engage caregivers as essential allies. Clinicians practiced interventions designed to shift families from anxiety-driven accommodation of OCD or eating disorder behaviors toward attuned, supportive connection.
• Collaborative Community & Skill-Building: The session created space for rich dialogue, peer case consultations, and targeted experiential exercises, strengthening connections across our regional clinical community.

Moving the Work Forward

A heartfelt thank you to Gail Palmer for sharing her immense wisdom, warmth, and clinical expertise with us, and to the team at Thrive Wellness for collaborating to bring this training to our region.

As we continue to grow the Reno-Tahoe EFT network, opportunities like this remind us of the power of attachment-based work in changing lives and supporting families through their hardest moments.

• Looking to deepen your EFT practice? Keep an eye on our upcoming events page for future trainings, peer consultation groups, and community gatherings, or reach out to connect with regional colleagues.