Seeing Youth Holistically: Clinical Outcomes for Emotion Focused Therapy for Youth

Abstract
Mental illness among youth presents a unique challenge to therapists, requiring careful consideration of developmental and systemic factors. Emotion dysregulation has been identified as an underlying facet of many mental disorders, including those associated with trauma and dissociation. Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) is an experiential approach that utilizes emotions in order to understand and resolve mental health challenges. In EFT, there is no reliance on how individuals adhere to manualized strategies and/or homework tasks between-sessions. Rather, EFT focuses on within-session processes that activate and transform core emotions. For youth, emotions are often linked to lived experiences with family members, primary caregivers, and other significant relationships. While considerable evidence shows positive outcomes using EFT for adults, it has only recently been adapted for youth. As such, there is a dearth of research in this area. To our knowledge, we are the first to empirically study the effectiveness of EFT for youth.

This presentation discusses the outcomes of a novel study using a developmentally appropriate adaptation of EFT for youth (EFT-Y) in a randomized control trial (RCT). The study examined the impact of an 8-session EFT-Y intervention on clinical disorders in youth. Outcomes for a waitlist control group and treatment group with similar age and presenting problems were compared. At the end of the intervention, the treatment group reported a considerable improvement in emotion regulation and depression symptoms compared to the waitlist control group, whose symptoms worsened. Treatment group youth demonstrated a decrease in difficulties with their emotions, conduct, and overall. The findings provide preliminary evidence of the efficacy of EFT-Y as a therapeutic modality for common child and adolescent psychopathology.

We will explore the rationale and development of EFT-Y, emphasizing its importance in trauma and dissociation treatment. Further, we will discuss how EFT-Y can help therapists support within-session improvements by: (a) identifying core emotions; (b) investigating the central role of emotions by drawing on significant relationships; and (c) utilizing within-session processes such as chair-work and role-play. To conclude, we will discuss practical applications for approaching intrafamilial and complex trauma that utilize EFT-Y techniques and attune to clients’ emotions.