Recommended Accommodations
Best Western PLUS The Arden Park Hotel (same hotel as the workshop venue)
552 Ontario Street, Stratford, ON, Canada, N5A 3J3
Hotel Direct Phone: (519) 275-2936
Toll-Free Reservations (Canada & USA): 1(800) 780-7234
For the best available rates, please contact the hotel directly.
*Note: This hotel books up quickly during Stratford’s theatre season – reserve early to secure your spot.
For additional accommodation options, visit: Visit Stratford – Places to Stay
Certificates of Attendance / CEU's / CE Information
All attendees will receive a Certificate of Attendance indicating the number of direct education hours (5.5), not including breaks. For those who aren’t able to attend the full session, a partial hours certificate will be provided. Certificates may be used to qualify for eligibility for Continuing Education Credits from licensing boards and professional colleges; it is the participant’s responsibility to contact their college or association to confirm its requirements and the workshop's eligibility for CEU's / CE’s.
Cancellation Policy
An administrative fee of $50 will be charged for all cancellations. Cancellation 14 or more days prior to the workshop date – receive a refund, less $50 administration fee. Cancellation less than 14 days prior to the workshop date – receive a credit, less $50 administration fee, to be applied to a future workshop. No credit or refund will be issued if you do not notify us in advance of the workshop date. You may transfer your registration to another individual at no extra cost. In this case, please notify Mission: Empowerment of the name of the alternate person. The organizers reserve the right to cancel the event due to instructor illness, extreme weather, under-enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If a workshop is cancelled, any registration payment will be returned in full. Liability is limited to a refund of registration fees only.
Refunds will not be issued in cases where a registrant did not receive the workshop information due to email issues. It is the registrant’s responsibility to contact us if they don’t receive the required information at least 2 business days prior to the start time of the workshop.
Workshop Description
Using Emotion Theory and Chair-Work in Individual Therapy
(Working with Self-criticism and Emotional Avoidance & Cultivating Assertion and Forgiveness)
One of the psychological markers of anxiety, depressed mood and other emotion-based difficulties relates to difficulties with emotion processing, referring to the capacity to attend to, label, regulate and move through emotions. When external stressors overwhelm our internal capacities, the human organism seeks out ways – consciously and unconsciously – to get relief, including via thought and behavior patterns like self-criticism, self-interruptions and avoidance patterns. It can also become difficult to connect with healthy assertion and forgiveness, states essential for mental health.
This workshop will introduce powerful and efficient emotion-focused interventions (including but not limited to chair-work interventions) to:
1. Transform self-criticism and emotional self-interruptions in therapy
2. Cultivate assertive anger and forgiveness
Informed by theory and techniques from Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) and Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), participants will be provided with scripts and opportunities to engage with theory experientially, as well as to observe the interventions in action via video demonstration. No prior training required. Participation can be active or passive. This training will not be recorded.
Learning Objectives:
- Apply emotion-focused interventions in individual therapy
- Describe theories for the development of self-critical and self-interruption processes
- Explain emotion-focused change mechanisms
Using Emotion Theory & Emotion-Focused Chair-Work Scripts
in Individual Therapy
with Dr. Adele Lafrance, Co-Developer of EFFT
IN PERSON EVENT
October 3, 2025, 9am - 4:30 pm ET
About the Presenter
Dr. Adele Lafrance is a clinical psychologist, research scientist, author and co-developer of emotion-focused treatment modalities, including Emotion-Focused Family Therapy. She has published extensively in the field of emotion and health, including the EFFT Clinician’s Manual published by the American Psychological Association. She has also written a popular parenting book titled: What to Say to Kids When Nothing Seems to Work.
A frequent keynote speaker at professional conferences, Adele is known for her engaging, energetic and authentic presentation style. She provides consultation and training for clinicians, school boards and mental health agencies worldwide.
Adele is perhaps best known for promoting family-focused care for children, adolescents and adults struggling with mental health issues.
For more information about Adele and her work, visit: www.dradelelafrance.com
What Others Are Saying:
“Adele is an extraordinary speaker-- engaged, alive and vulnerable at once, really smart and daring to make all of us think expansively. I have been quoting her since the talk!”
“Transparent, educated, humble, real, a risk-taker, a healer, a new refreshing voice for our field”
“Truly excellent integration of personal and professional experiences and perspectives, clinically useful and stimulating”
“Adele is compassionate, clear, and transparent. These things increase her engagement with listeners. And she shares her ideas in the context of theory, research, practice, and the lived experience of others. Such a dynamic speaker. And she is not afraid to bring the concepts of love and spirituality into her presentation and work"
Instructor: Adele Lafrance, PhD
Location: Best Western PLUS The Arden Park Hotel, 552 Ontario Street, Stratford, ON, Canada
Early Bird Cost: $269 CAD + HST by September 2, 2025
Regular Cost: $299 CAD + HST after September 2, 2025
**All prices are in CAD$. American Patrons - your dollar goes further! $1 CAD = $0.73 USD (as of May 27, 2025 - check online for current exchange rate)
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 26, 2025 by 4pm ET
* For information about Group Rates and Discounts click here.
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