| This study investigated the long-term personal and professional effects of a four-day externship training in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT). The present study is one of the few studies to examine the long-term effects of training on the personal and professional lives of therapists. EFT training uses lecture, discussion, video vignettes, live demonstrations, and role-play to convey an attachment-based approach to working with couples. The sample included clinicians (N=29) who completed surveys at three time points: immediately before and after training, and after a follow-up period (three to 10 months). Using self-report measures, this study examined changes in participants' knowledge and competence in EFT, self-compassion, attachment security, and their own personal relationships.;Results demonstrated that EFT training was related to significant and long-term changes in participants' personal and professional lives. Following training, 96% reported using EFT in their clinical work. Using a self-report modification of the EFT Fidelity Scale (Denton, Johnson, & Burleson, in press), participants' reported increases in knowledge and competence immediately after the externship and maintained competence at follow-up. Despite slight declines in knowledge scores, participants' knowledge was still significantly greater than before they entered training. The study failed to find that attendees' years of clinical experience, attachment security, and self-compassion predicted how much they would learn. Further training post-externship was not significantly related to knowledge or competence scores. However, as hypothesized, participants who learned more in the training significantly increased in self-compassion, as measured by the Self-Compassion Scale (Neff, 2003). Other results indicated that EFT training improved the attachment security of some participants as measured by the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised scale (Fraley, Waller, & Brennan, 2000). Specifically, after a follow-up period, clinicians with less experience reported a decrease in avoidant behaviors. Scores on anxiety-related behaviors were unaffected. Additionally, as predicted, participants said the training affected their personal relationships---especially romantic ones. This finding held particularly for older participants and those who learned more in the training. |
