Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) is rooted in a deep belief in the healing power of families. The therapist’s role is to empower and support caregivers to strengthen support strategies to attend to their loved one’s mental health needs. Caregivers are supported to gain skills in supporting the interruption of symptoms and maladaptive behaviours (e.g., anxiety, depression, self-harming). They are coached to increase emotional support, and validation techniques. EFFT addresses obstacles that impact the parent or caregiver effectiveness in their support efforts. For example, some parents are afraid that addressing concerns with their child will lead the child to feel depressed or suicidal, leaving the parents unsure of how to respond. Other parents may feel helpless because approaches they have tried did not work and therefore, find themselves relying on controlling or punitive techniques to motivate behavioural change.

Our therapists that practice EFFT:

• Ash dela Cruz Yip, RCC
• Essay Sun, RCC
• Daria Szwedowicz, RCC
• Shalene Takara, RCC-ACS
• Marlae Vermeer, Practicum Student Counsellor

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