EFT Therapist Certification

A Certified EFT Therapist is one whose expertise in this model of therapy is recognised by the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT). The primary goals of certification are to promote excellence in the practice of EFT and to ensure maintenance of standards in both the supervision and training of this approach.

In this section you will find resources to support you in preparing to become an EFT Certified Therapist.

'Getting Certified' presentation at BEFT Community national event 2016

At our national event in 2016 there was an excellent presentation by Helene Igwebuike about certification. You can listen to it and access the powerpoint and handouts by clicking here. (Scroll down to ‘Getting Certified’.)

ICEEFT Information about EFT Therapist Certification

There is a lot of information on certification on the ICEEFT website.
Click on Therapist Resources and then you can see a whole set of links under EFT Training.
The specific information needed for your certification submission is within the ICEEFT members area – sign in and go to Resources and then to Therapist Certification.

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Certification Case Presentation Guidance

Click here to go to a list of suggested questions to refer to when writing a certification case presentation.

Pre-requisites for Certification

To be able to apply for certification each therapist must meet certain pre-requisites. These have recently changed to the following:

  • Current clinical therapy practice (must include some couples and/or families).
  • License to practise psychotherapy in the state / province / region in which the applicant resides.
  • Proof of malpractice insurance.
  • Membership in ICEEFT

As counselling and psychotherapy in Britain is not licensed our alternative to the second pre-requisite is:
be a member of a professional counselling/psychotherapy / psychology organisation that has a code of ethics they must abide by e.g. BACP, NCS, UKCP

Certification Case Presentation Guidance

A list of suggested questions to refer to when writing a certification case presentation.

(kindly contributed by Helene Igwebuike)

– Why they have come to therapy now?,

– What do they each perceive to be the problem?

– What do they each hope to get from therapy? and basic information about them.

Number of sessions over period of how many months.

 Previous encounters with counselling/helping profession.

For both partners – discuss attachment style (avoidant/anxious), early attachment history/injuries
(relationship with main carers and attachment/survival/coping strategies in close relationships).

Discuss their idiosyncratic negative cycle (e.g. Pursue/demand – Withdraw/Avoid);
Describe their individual action tendencies using their own words and descriptions;
their perceptions of self and other when caught in their cycle.
Describe if they are able to exit or repair cycle or positive cycles in the relationship, e.g. still have
​ sex.

Identify whether or not these have been discussed in the sessions

Identify past betrayals of any kind.

That is, how you have formulated their problems in terms of the cycle/emotions/attachment needs and fears e.g. reframing husband as scared of failing rather than indifferent to her needs.

e.g. throwing darts, walking on egg shells.

In your transcripts, you code label your EFT interventions
e.g. [Reflecting her unmet attachment needs], Validating his experience.

– What you struggled with,
– What you learned and your honest assessment of the impact of therapy,
– What you might do differently if you had your time again, e.g heighten a certain experience more .

By ©Helene Igwebuike 2017