EFFT Skills Workshop for Parents & Caregivers

Does your child—young or adult—suffer from an eating disorder, anxiety, depression or other mental health concern? Do you struggle with their behavior or setting limits? You are not alone.

We know that parents don't cause eating disorders, and in fact are the best resource for a loved one's recovery. You just need support, some skills and coaching. If you want to learn how to stop walking on eggshells, improve your ability to provide meal support and help your loved one with strong emotions, join us for this skills and strategies workshop. 

Presented by Elizabeth Easton, Psy.D., this evidence-based workshop will introduce practical skills and scripts for you to use with your loved one in order to increase cooperation, respond to resistance and other strong emotional reactions, including expressions of worry, hopelessness, and even silence. You will also learn skills to manage your own emotional reactions - including feelings of burn-out, guilt and resentment.

The workshop will focus on one of Emotion-Focused Family Therapy's (EFFT) most powerful and foundational tools, emotion coaching, for use with children and adult sufferers. Research shows that when parents take on the role of an emotion coach, their kids function much better in a number of areas, including physical & mental health, social skills and academic performance. This workshop will focus on emotion coaching for eating disorders and will cover the most common challenging aspects of caring for a loved one with an eating disorder. The training will also be helpful with other mental health conditions.

Thanks to the generous support of GCI through GCI Gives, the GCI Suicide Prevention Fund at the Alaska Community Foundation, and the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority,  this workshop is free for Alaska participants and $40 for participants from other states (value $125).

About Dr. Easton:

Elizabeth Easton, Psy.D. is the National Director of Psychotherapy for Eating Recovery Center and Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center. She has played a vital role in the creation and development of the program’s Family-Centered Therapy model. As a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Easton is a clinician, supervisor, and speaker passionate about educating and empowering patients and parents to engage in the treatment and recovery process for eating disorders. She graduated with a Doctorate in Psychology from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Easton completed her pre-doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at The Children’s Hospital of Denver, specializing in individual, family and group therapy with The Eating Disorders Program, Anxiety and Mood Disorder Outpatient Clinics, and General Psychiatry Inpatient Units. Her integrative therapy approach spans psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness-based treatment and Family-Based Treatment modalities.