2023 ISEFT Conference
For 2 entire days, this conference will bring together the Emotion-Focused Therapy community! Our conference theme “Changing Emotions in a Changing World” aims to highlight the latest developments that are occurring in Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), having extended this approach through new modes of reaching clients and delivering EFT, adjusting to extraordinary experiences of going through a global pandemic and trying to impact new generations of psychotherapists across the world in contemporary training initiatives. We aim to show new developments in EFT, namely for working with new client populations, from recent practice and research developments and, therefore, we invite submissions in all areas of EFT practice, research, training, and supervision. All this will take place at the very heart of the historical city center of Porto which is distinguished by UNESCO as World Heritage, at the Centro de Congressos da Alfândega do Porto.
Presentations at the 2023 ISEFT Conference will begin at 9:00am (WET), Thursday, June 29th, and end at 7:00pm (WET), Friday, June 30th. This will include Symposiums, Mini workshops, Structured discussions, Brief papers, and Posters. The registration includes all the coffee-breaks and lunches. The conference banquet will take place in a beautiful historic venue, Palácio do Freixo, an historic and elegant venue for enjoying a memorable event.
Agenda
09h00 - 09h15
09h15 - 10h30
Presentation 1:
A comparison of emotion-focused therapy and cognitive-behavioural therapy in the treatment of generalised anxiety disorder
Presenter: Ladislav Timulak (Trinity College, Ireland)
Presentation 2:
Comparing outcome, processes and experiences in CBT and EFT for depression: experiences from the Bergen Psychoterapy Change Lab
Presenter: Jan Reidar Stiegler (The Norwegian Institute of Emotion-Focused Therapy – NIEFT; Norway)
Presentation 3:
Emotional processing as a predictor of change: A longitudinal study of CBT and EFT for depression
Presenter: João Salgado (University of Maia and Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Portugal)
Discussant: Robert Elliott (University of Strathclyde - Scotland; United States of America)
10h30 - 11h00
Poster 1 (Hall):
Study of the impact of a brief Focusing intervention: A protocol for a randomized clinical trial
Presenter: Clara Aguiar (University of Maia; Portugal)
Poster 2 (Hall):
Therapeutic presence: Creating an observational measure for clinical practice and research
Presenter: Cristina Azevedo (University of Maia; Portugal)
Poster 3 (Hall):
The Effects of Emotion Regulation on Mental Health Outcomes: A Study of Emotion Focused Therapy Groups (EFT-G) with University Students
Presenter: Meena Rangan (Toronto Metropolitan University; Canada)
Poster 4 (Hall):
Listening to the silenced body: Movement groups applied to the context of Biopsychosocial Rehabilitation
Presenter: Ricardo Lisboa (University of Maia; Portugal)
Poster 5 (Hall):
Emotion Focused Therapy for Fear of Cancer Recurrence: A first rational-empirical model
Presenter: Susana Almeida (University of Maia; Portugal)
Poster 6 (Hall):
The use of the Classification of Affective-Meaning States (CAMS): A review of the literature
Presenter: Vinicius Contin Carabolante (University of Maia; Portugal)
11h00 - 12h15
PARALLEL SESSIONPresentation 1:
Transdiagnostic Emotion-Focused Therapy for depression, anxiety and related difficulties
Presenters: Daragh Keogh and Sonja Schmitt (Trinity College; Ireland)
Presentation 2:
Emotion-focused therapy as a transdiagnostic treatment for depression and anxiety and related
disorders: An initial randomised control trial
Presenter: Daragh Keogh (Trinity College; Ireland)
Presentation 3:
Efficacy of Transdiagnostic Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT-C-T) for
relational difficulties with comorbid depression, anxiety and related difficulties
Presenter: Jessica Dailey (Trinity College; Ireland)
Discussant: Carla Cunha (University of Maia and Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Portugal)
11h00 - 12h15
PARALLEL SESSION11h00 - 12h15
PARALLEL SESSIONPresentation 1:
Motivational Splits: Working with Ambivalence in EFT
Presenter: Robert Elliott (University of Strathclyde - Scotland; United States of America)
Presentation 2:
Differentiating approach versus avoid tendencies in the motivation for safety/protection: A rational model for the emotional processing of fear
Presenter: Narayan Singh (Singh Psychology, PLLC; United States of America)
Presentation 3:
Daily-Life Emotion Transformation and Depressive Symptoms: a Showcase of how EFT Theories May Advance Emotion Process Research
Presenter: Tak Tsun (Edmund) Lo (Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University; Netherlands)
11h00 - 12h15
PARALLEL SESSION11h00 - 12h15
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
The development of a brief session-level process measure for emotion-focused couple therapy (EFT-C)
Presenter: Eran Bar-Kalifa (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva; Israel)
Paper Session 2:
Embracing diversity in emotion: How intercultural couples deal with cultural differences in emotion
Presenter: Michael Boiger (University of Amsterdam; Netherlands)
Paper Session 3:
The effect of therapists’ enactment interventions in promoting vulnerability sharing in emotion focused couple therapy
Presenter: Ofra Kula (Ben Gurion University of the Negev; Israel)
Paper Session 4:
Rupture and repair in couple therapy: Preliminary findings from a study on EFT couple therapy
Presenter: Eran Bar-Kalifa (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva; Israel)
12h15 - 13h30
13h30 - 14h20
14h25 - 15h40
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Presentation of preliminary results from a randomized clinical trial comparing outcome of CBT and EFT for depression
Presenter: Hanna Aardal (NIEFT, Norway)
Paper Session 2:
A qualitative investigation and comparison of clients' experience of CBT and EFT
Presenter: Aslak Hjeltnes (University of Bergen, Norway)
Paper Session 3:
A presentation of collected data from a randomized clinical trial and a discussion of how to best utilize these data
Presenter: Jan Reidar Stiegler (NIEFT; Norway)
Discussant: Ladislav Timulak (Trinity College; Ireland)
14h25 - 15h40
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Meta-analysis of Outcomes of Emotion Focused Therapy with Individuals
Presenter: Jason Sharbanee (Curtin University; Australia)
Paper Session 2:
Update on the ongoing developments within the Swiss/German Practitioner-Researcher Network Study on Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
Presenter: Catalina Woldarsky (Private practice; Switzerland)
Paper Session 3:
Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Therapy for resolving past emotional injuries
Presenter: Shigeru Iwakabe (Department of Psychology, Ritsumeikan University; Japan)
14h25 - 15h40
PARALLEL SESSIONDiscussants:
Laura Girz (Toronto Metropolitan University; Canada); Sarah Thompson (Transforming Emotions private practice and Toronto Metropolitan University; Canada); James McElvaney (St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services; Ireland); & Dylan Moore (St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services; Ireland)
14h25 - 15h40
PARALLEL SESSION14h25 - 15h40
PARALLEL SESSION15h45 - 16h15
16h15 - 17h30
PARALLEL SESSIONPresentation 1:
Updates on the EmpoweringEFT@EU project: Advancing supervision and training in EFT
Presenter: Carla Cunha (University of Maia & CPUP – Center of Psychology of University of Porto; Portugal)
Presentation 2:
A brief presentation of a training program in EFT supervision skills: The Norwegian experience
Presenter: Jan Stiegler (Institute for Psychological Counseling & Norwegian Institute for Emotion-Focused Therapy; Norway)
Presentation 3:
Person-Centred & Experiential Psychotherapy Scale - Emotion-Focused Therapy Scale (PCEPS-EFT-9): A Tool for assessing Therapist Competence in Research, Supervision and Clinical Practice
Presenter: Marina Monteiro (University of Maia & CPUP – Center of Psychology of University of Porto; Portugal)
Discussant: Robert Elliott (University of Strathclyde, Scotland; United States of America)
16h15 - 17h30
PARALLEL SESSION16h15 - 17h30
PARALLEL SESSION16h15 - 17h30
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Experiences of Interpersonal Process Recall in Emotion-Focused Therapy-group for Clients with Autistic Process
Presenter: Anna Robinson (University of Strathclyde; United Kingdom)
Paper Session 2:
Emotion Focused Therapy and Forgiveness in the Older Population: Protocol for an upcoming feasibility randomized controlled trial
Presenter: Bernardo Corrêa D'almeida (University of Maia; Portugal)
Paper Session 3:
Specialist Psychotherapy with Emotion for Anorexia in Kent and Sussex
Presenter: Anna Oldershaw (Emotion Focused Therapy Institute England; Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology; United Kingdom)
Paper Session 4:
A free emotion focused learning tool for children and their adults
Presenter: Anne-Hilde Lystad (Livet & Sann, Alesund; Norway)
18h10 - 18h20
Information for the Banquet
09h00 - 09h50
09h50 - 10h20
Poster 1 (Hall):
Evaluation of Emotional Transformation in Bereavement using CAMS: A case study
Presenter: Ana Catarina Silva Do Nascimento (University of Maia; Portugal)
Poster 2 (Hall):
Emotion-Focused Group Therapy for Young adults: A novel group programme in a Psychiatric population
Presenter: Georgina Heffernan (Saint Patrick’s Mental Health Hospital; Ireland)
Poster 3 (Hall):
Therapeutic presence in online sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Portuguese experience
Presenter: Rita Costa (University of Maia; Portugal)
Poster 4 (Hall):
Emotional processing difficulties scale-revised: Preliminary psychometric study
Presenter: Bruno Faustino (Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário de Lisboa; Portugal)
Poster 5 (Hall):
Collaborative Case Formulation Work in Emotion Focused Therapy: An Exploratory Task Analytic Study
Presenter: Iulia Manastireanu (Scottish Institute for Emotion Focused Therapy; United Kingdom)
10h20 - 11h35
PARALLEL SESSIONPresentation 1:
Textbook in Emotion-Focused Skills Training: A guide for clinicians
Presenter: Anne Hilde Vassbø Hagen (The Norwegian Institute for Emotion-Focused Therapy – NIEFT; Norway)
Presentation 2:
Latest research updates on Emotion-Focused Skills Training
Presenter: Nadia Ansar @ NIEFT- The Norwegian Institute for Emotion-focused Therapy, Norway
Presentation 3:
Video illustration of how EFST can be used in practice
Presenter: Joanne Dolhanty (Emotion Training Institute; Canada)
Discussant: Shigeru Iwakabe (Department of Psychology, Ritsumeikan University; Japan)
10h20 - 11h35
PARALLEL SESSION10h20 - 11h35
PARALLEL SESSION10h20 - 11h35
PARALLEL SESSION10h20 - 11h35
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Empty Chair Task for Interpersonal Emotional Injury: Randomized Pilot Study of a Brief Online Group Intervention
Presenter: Alexandra Paiva (University of Maia and Center for Psychology at University of Porto; Portugal)
Paper Session 2:
Two-chair task aimed at self-criticism: Pilot study of a Brief Online Group Intervention
Presenter: Bárbara Santos (University of Maia and Center for Psychology at University of Porto; Portugal)
Paper Session 3:
Focusing with Cancer Patients: A Pilot Study of a Brief Online Group Intervention
Presenter: Marta Gomes (University of Maia and Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Portugal)
Discussant: Ladislav Timulak (Trinity College; Ireland)
11h40 - 12h55
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
To Task or Not to Task: Clinical Decision Making in EFT case formulation
Presenter: Rhonda Goldman (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology & Emotion-Focused Therapy Institute; USA)
Paper Session 2:
To Task or not to Task in EFT sessions with a Transgender, Brazilian client
Presenter: Marco Aurelio Mendes (The Brazilian Institute for Emotion-Focused Therapy; Brazil)
Discussant: Aimee Ruscio (Private Practice, Washington, DC & Emotion-Focused Therapy Institute; USA)
11h40 - 12h55
PARALLEL SESSION11h40 - 12h55
PARALLEL SESSION11h40 - 12h55
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Confronting the Jargon Barrier in EFT: Challenges and Opportunities
Presenter: Christina Michael (Cyprus Institute for Emotion Focused Therapy; Cyprus)
Paper Session 2:
Therapists’ perceptions of the impact of Emotion-Focused Therapy on Emotion Regulation Processes: A Pilot Study
Presenter: Joseph Mathew (Glasgow Caledonian University; United Kingdom)
Paper Session 3:
What matters in psychotherapy: Trained therapists' perspectives. A study using Q Methodology
Presenter: Catalin Nedelcea (Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Bucharest; Romania)
Paper Session 4:
Stress level and satisfaction of psychologists in the pre- and early stages of their professional practice
Presenter: Rafael Jódar (Universidad Pontificia Comillas; Spain)
11h40 - 12h55
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
The efficacy of the two novel mobile apps based on Emotion-focused Therapy
Presenter: Júlia Halamová (Institute of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Social and Economic Sciences, Comenius University; Slovakia)
Paper Session 2:
Exploring the Potential of Emotion-focused Therapy in Psychedelic Integration
Presenter: Ana Botelho Ribeiro (Universidade Fernando Pessoa; Portugal)
Paper Session 3:
Ruptures resolution in the therapeutic alliance in different therapeutic modalities: The therapist perception
Presenter: Ana Bela Couto (University of Maia - UMAIA & Center for Psychology at University of Porto – CPUP; Portugal)
12h55 - 14h10
14h10 - 15h25
PARALLEL SESSIONDiscussants:
Carla Cunha (University of Maia & CPUP – Center of Psychology of University of Porto; Portugal), Ladislav Timulak (Trinity College Dublin; Ireland); Jason Sharbanee (Curtin School of Population Health; Curtin University; Australia); Ben Shahar (The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, Hebrew University; Israel) and Eran Bar-Kalifa (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; Israel)
14h10 - 15h25
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Emotion Focused Therapy for Youth: Clinical Applications and Outcomes of a Randomized Case Series
Presenter: Mirisse Foroughe (Family Psychology Centre; Canada)
Paper Session 2:
Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT): A 12-month Follow up Study of Dyadic Change
Presenter: Dillon T. Browne (University of Waterloo; Canada)
Paper Session 3:
Caregiver Maltreatment History and Treatment Response Following an Intensive Emotion Focused Family Therapy Workshop
Presenter: Kristina Cordeiro (York University; Canada)
Discussant: Krzysztof (Chris) Błażejewski (InRelatio Family Space; Poland)
14h10 - 15h25
PARALLEL SESSION14h10 - 15h25
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Emotion-Focused Therapy and Stages of Change: A Theoretical Framework to Help Clients Victimized by Intimate Partners
Presenter: João Leal (SPTFE; Portugal)
Paper Session 2:
Emotion Focused Couple Therapy in Refugees
Presenter: Esra Canpolat (Psychotherapy Institute; Turkey)
Paper Session 3:
EFT in Pre- and Perinatal Trauma therapy
Presenter: Max Peschek (Praxis für Körperpsychotherapie; Germany)
Paper Session 4:
Removing Emotional Wrecking After the Earthquake Trauma
Presenter: Habibe Aykan (Emotion-Focused Therapy Institute of Turkey; Turkey)
14h10 - 15h25
PARALLEL SESSION15h30 - 16h45
PARALLEL SESSIONPresentation 1:
Updates on the EmpoweringEFT@EU project: Advancing supervision and training in EFT
Presenter: Filipa Ferreira @ University of Maia & Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Portugal
Presentation 2:
Untangling the Mechanisms of Psychological Treatments: An Exploration of the Differential Impact of EFT and CBT on Psychological Distress
Presenter: Daniel Castro (University of Maia & Center for Psychology at University of Porto; Portugal)
Presentation 3:
Exploration of the semantic dynamical processes between therapist and client during psychotherapy
Presenter: Rita Rodrigues (University of Maia & Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Portugal)
Presentation 4:
An exploration of the changes that occur in the structure and dynamics of clients’ semantic network during psychotherapy
Presenter: Sofia Araújo (University of Maia & Center for Psychology at University of Porto; Portugal)
15h30 - 16h45
PARALLEL SESSION15h30 - 16h45
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
The grief pandemic and how EFT can address it: the development of training manuals for the promotion of a more compassionate emotional community
Presenter: Daniela Nogueira (UMAIA - University of Maia; Portugal)
Paper Session 2:
Existential Need Processing Model in complicated grief and empty chair for unfinished business
Presenter: José Gamoneda (Unidad Clínica de Psicologia – UNINPSI; Universidad Pontificia Comillas; Spain)
Paper Session 3:
Emotion-Focused Mindfulness Self-Compassion Meditation – The practice of RAIN
Presenter: Niels Bagge (Institut for Emotionsfokuseret Terapi; Denmark)
15h30 - 16h45
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Clinical Supervision in Humanistic, Existential, Experiential Therapies and Emotion Focused Therapy: A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature
Presenter: Ana Rodrigues (Universidade da Maia; Portugal)
Paper Session 2:
Listening to the Experts: Preliminary Results from First- and Second-Generation EFT Experts Interviewed during the EmpoweringEFT@EU Project
Presenter: Pedro Lopes (University of Maia & CPUP – Center of Psychology of University of Porto; Portugal)
Paper Session 3:
“How was your path and experience in this clinical supervision process?” Exploring the Perspective of Supervisees undergoing Supervision in Emotion Focused Therapy
Presenter: Ana Rodrigues @ Universidade da Maia, Portugal
Paper Session 4:
Using therapy session videos in EFT Supervision: Resources and Challenges in the Spanish Community
Presenter: Alejandro de la Traba (Universidad de Comillas, Madrid, Spain)
15h30 - 16h45
PARALLEL SESSIONPaper Session 1:
Clinical Experience working with Emotion Focused Skills Training (EFST) in specialized mental Health care
Presenter: Linda Severinsen (Department of child and adolescent mental health (Abup) Sorlandet Hospital; Norway)
Paper Session 2:
Emotion-Focused Skills Training (EFST) for Parents with Anxious Children: A Pilot Study
Presenter: Rune Zahl-Olsen (Department of child and adolescent mental health (Abup) Sorlandet Hospital; Norway)
Paper Session 3:
Effectiveness of Emotion Focused Skills Training for Parents: Presenting a Randomized Controlled Trial in Specialist Mental Health Care
Presenter: Linda Severinsen (Department of child and adolescent mental health (Abup) Sorlandet Hospital; Norway)
Paper Session 4:
The mechanisms of change: How does Emotion Focused Skills Training (EFST) cause change?
Presenter: Yngve Kolltveit (Department of child and adolescent mental health (Abup) Sorlandet Hospital; Norway)
16h45 - 17h15
17h15 - 18h30
How has EFT grown and changed, remaining true to its roots?
Presenters:
Rhonda Goldman (The Chicago School of Professional Psychology & Emotion-Focused Therapy Institute; USA); Serine Warwar (Centre for Psychology and Emotional Health; Greenberg Institute of Emotion-Focused Therapy; York University Emotion-Focused Therapy Clinic; Canada); and Carla Cunha (University of Maia & CPUP – Center of Psychology of University of Porto; Portugal)
Hotel Palácio do Freixo
https://www.pestanacollection.com/en/hotel/freixo-palace
Estrada Nacional, 108 - 4300-316 Campanhã, Porto
GPS: N 41º 08’ 571’’ W 8º 34’ 475’’
Important information about our Banquet Dinner to be held on Thursday 29th June at the National Monument Hotel Pestana Palácio do Freixo.
The Pestana Palácio do Freixo is characterized by its magnificent 18th century architecture. It was built by Nicolau Nasoni, one of the main architects of Porto's World Heritage designation.
Situated in the city of Porto, 3km from the center of one of the liveliest regions of Portugal, the Palácio do Freixo, declared a National Monument in 1910, is a unique example of Baroque architecture, with some 10,000m2 of gardens and green spaces offering breathtaking views of the River Douro.
Transportation to the Banquet Dinner
Transport will be provided from the Alfândega Congress Centre (conference venue) to
the Hotel Pestana Palácio do Freixo and return to Alfândega Congress Centre and/or City Center.
We have selected a menu based on the cuisine of the northern wine-growing region, with influences from Portuguese and Mediterranean cuisine.
For further information contact us at: