EFT by Robert Elliott

Clinical psychologist Paul Rijnders introduces the vision and human image behind the SCP model, explaining how symptoms arise from the interplay between circumstances (C) and personal style (P), captured in the formula S = C × P. He reviews the scientific evidence supporting this transdiagnostic, transtheoretical model and outlines the five-step roadmap used to apply it in practice. The first video in a 7-part series on the SCP model.

In this video, expert-by-experience Janneke Ferwerda talks about hearing critical and demeaning voices. She describes the daily struggle, how harsh and persistent the voices feel, and the emotional toll this takes. The conversation shows why understanding the content of voices is essential for effective treatment and coping strategies.

Professor Lucy Serpell discusses evidence-based treatments for eating disorders, with a focus on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and NICE guidelines for anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder. The session highlights personalized treatment options, the integration of family therapy, and the psychological factors underlying binge eating. It also explores the role of technology in therapy delivery and the impact of medication, underscoring the importance of addressing both emotional and behavioral aspects of care.

This introduction to Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) traces its foundations and evolution within mental health treatment. Professor Paul Gilbert explains the roles of guilt and shame, and how insights from Buddhist practice have shaped the therapy's development. He emphasizes the central place of compassion in treatment, highlighting core skills such as empathy and assertiveness. Practical techniques including breathing exercises and body awareness are presented as tools for managing anxiety, while validating feelings is shown to support healing from shame and trauma.

This Director's Cut offers a behind-the-scenes reflection on a patient studio session focused on body-oriented schema therapy. The practical workshop follows a therapy session with client Thomas, exploring emotions such as anger through experiential and somatic techniques. Thomas physically engages with a cushion to express feelings of frustration and selfishness, illustrating how body work can deepen emotional understanding. The session underscores the value of playfulness, creativity, and a safe therapeutic environment in fostering ongoing emotional engagement.

What if the story you tell about your life could become the key to healing it? In this lecture, Professor Gerben Westerhof introduces An Empowering Story - a narrative intervention that bridges the science of storytelling and the practice of mental health recovery. Through structured reflection, clients are guided to revisit their experiences, identify the turning points that shaped them, and imagine new possibilities for their future. The process is as simple as it is profound: write your story, share it, and begin to see yourself differently. With evidence to back it up, this approach shows measurable gains in recovery - participants report greater self-awareness, emotional relief, and a renewed sense of agency. Because sometimes the most therapeutic thing a person can do is find the words for what they've been through - and discover they're not alone in it. Thoughtful, research-grounded, and deeply humanising - this lecture makes the case that narrative is not just how we make sense of the past, but how we find our way forward.

Why do so many skilled therapists stop improving - even after years of practice? In this lecture, psychologist Aerjen Tamminga unpacks the concept of deliberate practice and its relevance to clinical work. Drawing on research into expertise and performance, he explains why experience alone rarely translates into better outcomes, and how a more structured, intentional approach to skill development can shift that pattern. Central to this approach are honest feedback, disciplined self-reflection, and an ongoing commitment to learning - not as abstract ideals, but as concrete clinical habits that measurably improve therapeutic outcomes.

Resilience isn't about being unbreakable. It's about knowing what breaks you - and choosing to move toward what matters anyway. In this talk, psychologist and author Ute Liersch dismantles the popular myth that resilience means pushing through, staying strong, and feeling nothing. Instead, she makes the case for something far more honest: yielding to stress, sitting with discomfort, and using the weight of hard emotions as a compass rather than a burden. From the quiet damage of corporate culture to the wisdom hidden inside adversity, Liersch shows that true resilience begins not with more endurance - but with deeper self-knowledge. Grounded, clear, and quietly radical - this is a guide for anyone who's tired of pretending that strength means not falling apart.

What if the key to lasting change in relationships isn't fixing behaviors - but building the flexibility to respond differently? In this opening lecture, clinical psychologist Matthias Valente introduces a powerful framework that blends schema therapy with acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). He traces the evolution of schema theory, unpacks how emotional needs shape relationship dynamics, and makes the case for psychological flexibility, mindfulness, and values-clarity as the foundation of meaningful couples work. A rich theoretical grounding for everything that follows in this series.

In schema therapy we work with emotions, cognitions and behaviours, but only touch the subject of the body tangentially. However, many clients, particularly with complex histories, present with somatic symptoms. Sometimes client’s story is told more by the body than words. There may be modes that express themselves primarily somatically, sometimes the Vulnerable Child or Infant Mode is pre-verbal. Clinicians can feel quite stuck and at a loss when there is a need to go beyond words and client’s narrative, or where the client appears to be trapped in a strong coping or critic mode. This presentation will give a brief outline of integrating the body more directly in schema therapy work. It will address questions such as why we need to work with the body at all and look at the benefits as well as the risks. It will give a brief outline of the basic steps that can be taken to create a structure to work with the body, and also learn to access the body as a place of comfort, particularly where the body has been the site of trauma in the past. The aim of the presentation is to give clinicians ideas and confidence about bringing more body focus into their usual schema therapy interventions, and also use their own body as a place of guidance and resourcefulness.

Janis Briedis explores core emotional needs, schemas, and coping styles, highlighting the crucial role of the body in therapy—especially for trauma. He demonstrates techniques to interpret body signals, connect emotions with physical sensations, and integrate somatic awareness into treatment. With an emphasis on humor and playfulness, this approach helps clients access their healthy adult state and enhance self-care.

The session includes exploration of barriers (coping modes) to the Young One (Vulnerable Child mode), leading to a rapid shift to (or breaking into) a vigorous, life-filled Healthy Adult state full of vitality and feeling of expansiveness. Topics of grounding, co-regulation and object permanence are touched upon in the session.

This video explores Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), a therapeutic approach that views emotions as central to human experience. EFT helps clients become aware of, accept, and transform their emotions. The therapy combines following the client’s emotional process with guiding them through tasks like resolving unresolved feelings or self-criticism. By focusing on bodily responses and synthesizing emotions (e.g., turning shame into healthy anger), EFT fosters deep emotional change. The process is non-linear, emphasizing experiential over intellectual understanding, and aims to help clients transform core painful emotions.

In this video, Les Greenberg demonstrates Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) with Marcel, a patient who struggles with a pleasing attitude. Marcel discusses how he often stays quiet, especially around dominant individuals, and avoids expressing his true thoughts. In the first session, he also addresses his relationship with his mother, exploring its impact on his behavior. Throughout the session, Greenberg guides Marcel in unpacking these issues and shares key takeaways for therapists on how to approach similar dynamics in their own practice.

The session demonstrates the process of conceptualising client’s difficulties managing anxiety as the Demanding/Blaming Critic mode that is squashing the Vulnerable Child mode, moderated by the Catastrophizer coping mode. The chair work leads to an in-depth understanding and softening of the Demanding Critic, ability to somatically soothe the Vulnerable Child mode and the appearance of the Playful Child mode and the importance of self-compassion.

In this session a somatic sense of boundaries is explored through movement between the client and therapist. Movement towards each other allows the client to tap into the sense of their ’no’ or ’stop’ , as well as ‘yes’ in the body. As part of the exercise feelings about boundaries being set by the therapist are explored, and repair of mini-rupture in the therapeutic relationship is demonstrated.

In this fourth and final session, Elisabeth goes through the trauma once more with Willemijn to ensure she has understood everything correctly and to see if there are any missing points or adjustments needed. "Going through the movie one more time," as Elisabeth puts it.

In this second session, Elisabeth starts by asking Willemijn how she feels after their first session to assess its impact on her. Following this, they begin to lay out Willemijn's lifeline. Symbols are used in the lifeline to describe situations, such as stones (unpleasant events), flowers (beautiful events), sticks (harm done to someone), and candles (loss of loved ones).

Trauma work can evoke intense emotions, and clients may sometimes dissociate during imagery exercises. This roleplay illustrates how therapists can recognize early signs of dissociation and use grounding techniques—such as tactile objects like a fleece blanket—to help clients stay connected to the present moment. When clients become overwhelmed, they can signal for help, allowing the therapist to intervene calmly and restore safety. The session highlights the importance of pacing, attunement, and maintaining a secure environment during trauma processing. Learning objectives: - Identify early signs of dissociation during Imagery Rescripting. - Learn practical grounding techniques to help clients stay present. - Understand how to re-establish safety without interrupting the therapeutic process. - Develop sensitivity to the client’s signals of overwhelm and readiness.

In this session, Anne Hilde helps Elsbeth, a mother struggling with her nine-year-old daughter's anger, which triggers her own trauma and makes it difficult to validate her child's emotions. Through chair work, Elsbeth gains clarity on her daughter's needs and overcomes her own fears.

In this twelfth part of the masterclass, participants actively engage in role play, alternating between therapist and patient roles. The goal is to identify therapy-interfering stuck points and complete patient worksheets, with a specific focus on childhood trauma and the complex emotions it evokes. Using Socratic dialogue, participants practice helping clients clarify their thoughts and emotions, without imposing interpretations. The session emphasizes the importance of truly understanding the patient's lived experience and creating space for self-discovery. The conversation also explores cultural perspectives on abuse, including how societal attitudes have shifted over time. Client resistance is addressed with compassion, reinforcing the principle of curious questioning over directive advice, and showing how subtle therapeutic techniques can foster openness and insight.

In this third session, Dr. Leanne Campbell wants to delve into Gus's experience of the previous session. They then explore together the energy that Gus would like to feel in his life. The goal is to help Gus let go of feelings of rejection and the belief that he is unlovable, allowing him to feel freer and more empowered.

In session 1 with Maartje, Maartje discusses her struggle to set boundaries and take care of herself. Each time she tries to prioritize her own needs, she becomes very emotional, with tears in her eyes and a lump in her throat. It's the small things that trigger her. Les Greenberg aims to explore the deeper meaning behind these emotions.

In this short introduction Dr. Haim Weinberg introduces this series on online group psychotherapy. He briefly explains what you can expect when you start the series and what to pay attention to.

With Joy Oonk

In this role-play, Helen Macdonald demonstrates how to help a client connect with her values – the things that matter most to Anna in life. This enables her to engage in meaningful and fulfilling activities, despite the pain.

In this session, Drs. Edith Tjoa takes you on an engaging role-play journey, impressively illustrating how she applies the technique of identity re-labeling to modes. Using a form, they explore together with the client the deeper functions and desires that lie behind. In the role-play, Laura shares a challenging day from her life and reveals one of her personal identities. Together, they scrutinize this identity and skillfully reframe it into different modes.

In this session, Drs. Edith Tjoa discusses the case that forms the basis for the continuation of the series.

In this second session of the Trauma Tapes, Ruud Jongedijk draws the lifeline from birth to the present with Victoria in which both stones (traumas) and flowers (beautiful memories) have a place. At the end of the session they make a picture of this lifeline together. -Dutch with English subtitles-

In this first session of the Trauma Tapes, Prof. Dr. Berthold Gersons meets Victoria and her partner. He explains to them what PTSD is and how it has changed her view of herself, others and the world. -Dutch with English subtitles-

During the Grief Tapes, we focus on recognizing and treating grief. In this studio series, you will see how Prof. Dr. Paul Boelen treats a patient and how an imaginary conversation with her son can help her process her loss.

During the Grief Tapes we focus on recognizing and treating grief. In this studio series you will see how Dr. Geert Smid treats a patient live and applies grief therapy (BEPP-TG). With Geert Smid, Mr. Moto and Bram van der Boom

In this first webinar of the ISDTP series, José Verpoort explains what ISTDP is and how it developed from traditional psychodynamic therapy and how it was originally meant for patients with high psychological resistance. In a role play she shows how to identify anxiety symptoms with a patient during a first session.

In this fourth and final session, Katy first asks how Pnin is feeling after revisiting and going through his heavy "stone." After a brief evaluation, Katy suggests retelling his story from her perspective and whether the insights Pnin gained from the previous session resurface.

In this third session, Elisabeth delves deeper with Willemijn into one chosen trauma, one stone from her lifeline. Elisabeth refers to this as a "mountain tour," where she is the tour guide and Willemijn leads her along the path towards the trauma. Through asking questions, they navigate the entire path towards the trauma. This process may bring about a lot of fear, but it signifies that Willemijn is on the right path.

Ad de Jongh presents the latest developments in EMDR therapy, explaining how working-memory taxation and targeted cognitive tasks reduce the emotional impact of traumatic memories. He also introduces innovative applications such as Blind-to-Therapist EMDR and the Flash-Forward protocol, supported by promising long-term results, even in clients with psychosis. Learning objectives - Understand how working-memory taxation enhances EMDR effectiveness - Learn how cognitive tasks support trauma processing - Get acquainted with Blind-to-Therapist EMDR - Understand the use of the Flash-Forward protocol - Gain insight into recent findings, including EMDR for psychosis

In this video, we see a fragment from an intake session between therapist Ad Kerkhof and patient Carla. The conversation focuses on identifying intrusive thoughts in the context of EMDR and suicide prevention. Ad Kerkhof carefully explores the nature of the intrusions — what form they take, when they occur, and what their content is. At the same time, he inquires about Carla’s current medication and how her depressive symptoms manifest. Central to the conversation is the question: what is Carla internally struggling with — which thoughts, feelings, or beliefs are fueling her sense of hopelessness?

In this last session, Laurian, Ad and Lisanne sit together once more to summarize the week. What feelings come up? How does Lisanne see the past, discussed memories? Did she achieve the goals she set at the beginning of this journey?

In this fourth session, Ad first briefly goes through the traumatic memories with Lisanne, to see what the current SUD scores are. From fierce arguments to abuse, every traumatic memory is dealt with and by the end Lisanne is able to convincingly say: “I can handle it” and “I'm worth it”.

In this eighth session of the Trauma Tapes, Prof. Dr. Agnes van Minnen explains the rationale of imaginary exposure and exposure in vivo to Victoria. In this session, she performs imaginary exposure about the first rape by Victoria's father. She does this imaginary exposure twice. -Dutch with English subtitles-

In this fourth session of the Trauma Tapes, you'll see Prof. Ad de Jongh apply EMDR to a traumatic experience of Victoria. He also helps change her self-blame, a common theme in traumatic experiences. It also provides insight into how quickly EMDR can be effective. -Dutch with English subtitles-

After losing his job following escalating conflicts with a new manager, David is left questioning what went wrong. Once proud of his stable work history, he now finds himself overwhelmed by frustration and anger, not only professionally but also at home. Since the birth of their son, his relationship with his wife has grown increasingly tense. He experiences her as critical and distant, which fuels further resentment and emotional withdrawal. Patterns begin to emerge that connect his workplace conflicts with the dynamics in his marriage. In this clinical session, the therapist proposes a long-term treatment trajectory focused on improving interpersonal functioning. Through guided self-reflection, David is invited to examine his emotional responses, relational patterns, and underlying vulnerabilities.

In this roleplay, David treats Jerry, an inmate recently involved in a violent incident. He uses modes and mode cards to reflect with Jerry on what happened and explore his behavior.

With Joy Oonk

In this third webinar in the ISTDP series, Josette ten Have - de Labije explains how ISTDP can be used to treat persistent depression and emotional neglect. She also explains the meaning of the human-animal attachment. She explains these concepts in depth, how they relate to ach other, and how ISTDP can be effectively applied.

In this webinar, Graham Taylor shows how to combine schema therapy and EMDR with complex cases. Graham Taylor has many years of experience in applying different forms of therapy with this population of patients.

In this webinar, Travis Atkinson discusses how to facilitate partner relationship therapy in a partner relationship format. He explains the similarities and differences with EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) and points out how both models complement each other. In a role-play, Travis gives an example of how schema therapy can be applied within couples therapy.

In this roleplay, prof. dr. Anthony Bateman demonstrates how to assist clients in the 'pretend mode' by tackling the low level of mentalisation.

In this roleplay, Limor Navot en prof. dr. David Bernstein demonstrate how to deal with the self-aggrandizer modus and agression as part of a narcisistic personality disorder using schematherapeutic techniques.

Emotionally focused family therapy (EFT) strengthens family relationships by enhancing attachment between parents and children. It follows three stages: increasing parental responsiveness, helping children express vulnerability, and consolidating changes. The EFT Tango, a structured method, guides therapists in processing emotions and initiating new conversations. Emotions play a key role in communication, highlighting the importance of parents expressing their feelings to support their children effectively.

Discover key insights from Gail Palmer’s series on Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT): - Learn how to check in on emotions and address unspoken feelings. - Understand the impact of isolation and ways to foster closeness. - Explore how early experiences shape self-sufficiency and independence. - See how past experiences affect communication and collaboration. - Discover the role of openness in strengthening family bonds. - Identify and change unhealthy relational cycles to improve family dynamics.

In this session, Dr. Leanne Campbell delves deeper into the third phase of the Tango, emphasizing the importance of dealing with grief and loss in the context of trauma. She discusses how these themes are approached in EFIT and highlights how growth is an ongoing process. Nina is encouraged not only to process her loss but also to embrace the journey toward personal development and resilience, which are central to EFIT.

In this session, Dr. Leanne Campbell deepens her work with Nina as the therapeutic relationship grows and Nina feels more comfortable in Leanne's presence. As trust increases, new, deeply rooted memories emerge. Nina shares more about her experiences, enriching the session and allowing them to work together to explore and process these emerging emotions and memories.

In this video, Dr. Leanne Campbell provides a comprehensive introduction to Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT). She discusses the history and development of this therapeutic approach, walks you through the different phases, and explains how EFIT contributes to strengthening emotional connections and resilience. Additionally, she offers a unique insight into her practice by showcasing several sessions with her own clients, bringing the theory to life in practice.

A toolbox full of exercises you can immediately apply with clients. Jenny Broersen guides you through an imagination exercise on Schema Therapy & the Healthy Adult.

In this roleplay Dr. Suzanne Levy shows how to discuss the attachment problems underlying behavioral problems of the adolescent. The roleplay involves a conversation between father, son and mother with the therapist in the lead.

With Pieternel Dijkstra, Aerjen Tamminga, and Bram van der Boom

In this first roleplay, Marjolein Koementas demonstrates a supervision session with a supervisee in training to become a healthcare psychologist. This is the third session in the supervision series. The focus is on three basic learning interventions: validating, questioning, and summarizing. You will learn how these interventions are applied and which learning domains they engage.

In this roleplay, Limor Navot demonstrates chairwork with Richard (played by David Bernstein), a patient with narcissistic personality disorder and paranoid traits. She illustrates how to identify modes and integrate them through chairwork.

In this roleplay, David treats Jerry, an inmate who was recently involved in a violent incident. He uses empathic confrontation to help Jerry see that his conning manipulator mode works against him rather than helping him.

In this introduction, David Bernstein and Limor Navot explain how forensic schema therapy was developed, how it works, the research supporting it, and how therapists apply it in practice.

This presentation examines the complex relationship between addiction and criminal law, particularly focusing on culpability in cases of intoxication. It discusses how various jurisdictions handle prior fault rules and the challenges faced by defendants with mental disorders or substance use issues. The role of behavioral experts is highlighted, emphasizing their impact on judicial decisions regarding addiction and culpability.

In this roleplay Dr. Suzanne Levy shows how to discuss the attachment problems underlying behavioral problems of the adolescent. The roleplay involves a conversation between father, son and mother with the therapist in the lead.

In this webinar, dr. Tanja Su, Esther van Elswijk, and prof. dr. Anne Margriet Pot provide insight into online therapeutic treatment of elderly patients. Supporting research evidence is discussed as well as the challenges that accompany the online treatment of these patients, who are often less digitally apt than younger patients. In addition insight is provided into online diagnostic assessment and treatment of elderly individuals.

In this webinar, prof. dr. Geert van Hove, Kamiel Zijderveld, and Rianne Dekker tell us more about how to treat patients who have a mental disability. They explain how you can give this group of patients therapy in an online setting, and the important points to keep in mind when doing so.

A patient confronts social phobia through a combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and virtual reality. He shares his anxiety about social situations, especially when pressured to drink. During a role play, he practices refusing a beer, monitoring his anxiety levels. Afterward, he reflects on the experience's realism and intensity. The session highlights the effectiveness of virtual reality in therapy and the need to tackle underlying anxieties.

In this masterclass, you'll gain insight into some of the most innovative and unusual techniques used in psychotherapy today. Drawing on his extensive experience as a clinician and researcher, Dr. Akhtar will guide you through a range of interventions designed to help you better connect with your clients and achieve lasting change. From psychodrama and bibliotherapy to music and dance therapy, this masterclass covers a wide range of approaches that you can use to engage with clients and help them overcome their challenges.

This demonstration of online psychodynamic group therapy by Haim Weinberg en Bram van der Boom illustrates the course of the group dynamics. They also show how to adequately intervene through more extensive application of imagination and by specifically pointing out patients' facial expressions.

In this roleplay, psychotherapist Remco van der Wijngaart demonstrates the chair excercise using three different chairs and client roles. He also shows how to do this technique online.

In this roleplay, prof. dr. Anthony Bateman demonstrates how to help clients feel at ease in an online MBT session.

In this roleplay, prof. dr. Anthony Bateman demonstrates how to assist clients in the 'pretend mode' by tackling the low level of mentalisation.

In this webinar, prof. dr. Geert van Hove, Kamiel Zijderveld, and Rianne Dekker tell us more about how to treat patients who have a mental disability. They explain how you can give this group of patients therapy in an online setting, and the important points to keep in mind when doing so.

In this masterclass, Skip Rizzo shows different ways in which virtual reality (VR) can be used in mental healthcare. He shows us this with examples from virtual reality applications and interventions.