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Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)

Core Skills In-person London

8 days of further training

February 9th-12th & May 18th-21st 2026

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Deepen your skills and knowledge in EFCT

An eight day advanced training for counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists. 

Deepen your knowledge, skills and understanding of implementing EFT for couples in this experiential in-person Core Skill Course, endorsed by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT). 

To attend you must have already completed and externship in EFCT and be actively working with couples or aiming to start during the course. 

Why attend Core Skills? 

  • Deepen your knowledge of the EFT Tango, Stages and Sterps, and Skills. 
  • Experientially learn the effectiveness of EFT in creating connection between partners through role plays.
  • Start to develop your own style of doing EFT, appreciating the skills and way of being you bring new areas of development. 
  • Build confidence and competence in stepping in and working with emotion in and between partners.
  •  Deepen your appreciation of the imapct of external factors on the partner relationship including minority stress and resilience. 
  • Join a supportive learning community of like minded practitioners. 

Core skills is the second level of Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy training and is one of the requirements towards EFT certification. 

We run the extended 48 hour version of Core Skills over 8 days. To complete your Core Skills and gain your certificate you will need to attend and participate for all 8 days. 

What will I learn in ‘Core Skills’

By the end of Core Skills participants will: 

  • Develop the ability to shape therapy through EFT Tangos that are attuned in length and depth to the stage of therapy and needs of each client.
  • Demonstrate appropriate application of the following interventions: 1) Validation; 2) Evocative reflections and questions; 3) Heightening; 4) Empathic conjecture; 5) Tracking and reflecting cycles; 6) Reframing the problem in terms of context and cycles; and 7) Choreographing encounters. 
  • Develop skills in building the therapeutics alliance and undertaking effective assessments including: exploring possible contra-indications for couples therapy; exploring attachment history and strategies; exploring the impact of their context, including discrimination and oppression, and their coping strategies; impact of and identifying the basic negative cycle. 
  • Demonstrate skills to de-escalate escalating interactions including catching the bullet, validate reactive emotion and access and share their underlying meaning – enabling the couple to become a team against the negative cycle. This includes the change event- de-escalation of the negative cycle. 
  • Develop the ability to enable clients to access, own and share with partner their core, underlying emotional experience, and support the partner to receive and respond. This includes the change of events of Withdrawer Re-Engagement and Pursuer Softening. 
  • Assess readiness for a couple to finish therapy, including supporting them to resolve still unresolved issues, and exploring ways of taking care of their relationship as therapy ends. 
  • Develop a plan for the ongoing learning and development of their EFT skills and knowledge

Programme Overview

Date & Schedule

Our training is split into 8 days of total training (9:30-16:30) on February 9th-12 and May 18th-21st

Format

Presentations, clips from client sessions, ‘live’ sessions by one or more trainers, discussions, small groups & role plays

Venue

VAI (Voluntary Action Islington)

Accreditation

ICEEFT – endorsed Core Skills

Eligibility

Qualified advanced trainee counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists or other mental health professionals

Cost

Early Bird Rate £1650 (if registered and paid in full before 15/12/25)

Early Bird Instalments 2x £800 

 Full price £1800 (applicable after 15th December)

 Full price Instalments 2x £850

 Widening participation reduced rates available

Dates for instalments are 1st on 15th December and 2nd 23rd march for Early Bird and 1st 15th February and 2nd 23rd March for Standard full fee

Required reading:

Required reading: The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: Creating Connection, 3rd  edition, by Susan M. Johnson, 2020. Routledge.

Recommended reading: Becoming an Emotionally Focused Therapist: The Workbook, 2nd  edition, by James L. Furrow, Susan M. Johnson, Brent Bradley, Lorrie L. Brubacher, T. Leanne Campbell, Veronica Kallos-Lilly, Gail Palmer, Kathryn Rheem, Scott R. Woolley, 2022. Routledge.

Accessibility & Diversity

We actively welcome participants from diverse backgrounds and communities. 

We recognise that being a member of one or more minority groups and/or working for minority groups may result in the cost of the course being prohibitive. We offer several widening participation reduced fee places and invite you to click below to find our if you are eligible and how to apply.

Widening Participation

Meet the trainers

Helene Igwebuike

How to Apply

  • Complete online application form and make payment or (if required) complete application for widening participation application. 
  • If you have queries, submit by clicking the button below
  • Secure your place early. Spaces are limited and fill up quick!
Enquire Now
Apply Here

FAQ's

Do I need prior EFT experience?

You must have already completed an Externship in EFCT and be actively working with couples or aiming to start during the course.

Do I need to attend all of the sessions?

Yes, participants are required to attend all of the training sessions. If you are unable to attend part of the course, you may need to redo some or all of the training.

Does it count towards ICEEFT certification?

Completion of the Core Skills is one of the requirements of certification.

What do I need to attend?

A stable internet connection, a computer with camera and microphone, and a quiet, private space for learning where you are able to give the course your undivided attention.

Can I record?

The use of video and audio recording and photography is strictly prohibited.