Emotion-focused therapy for youth: clinical outcomes of a single-site, randomized waitlist-controlled trial

Abstract

ABSTRACT Although there is considerable evidence to support Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) in the adult population, it has not been empirically studied in youth. EFT does not rely on an individual’s adherence to manualized strategies or between-session homework tasks, focusing instead on within-session processes. These processes activate and transform core emotions that are often linked to experiences with primary caregivers, family members, and other significant relationships. This novel study reports on an adaptation of EFT for youth. Building upon the evidence base for EFT with adults, we examined the impact of an 8-session EFT-Y intervention on clinical disorders in youth (n = 43). Using a single-site randomized waitlist-controlled design, outcomes from a treatment group (n = 22) were compared to a waitlist control group (n = 21), similar in age and presenting problems. In comparison to youth in the waitlist control group, the treatment group reported a significant decrease in their emotion dysregulation and depression scores at the end of treatment. Youth in the treatment group also demonstrated a decrease in their emotion difficulties, conduct problems, and overall difficulties, with baseline scores controlled for. These findings provide preliminary evidence that EFT-Y is an efficacious therapeutic approach for common child and adolescent psychopathology.