Fighting for Connection: EFT and IPV

A 2-Day Workshop with Jef Slootmaeckers

Research shows that intimate partner violence is more common than most therapists assume — and even more so among couples who seek couple therapy. Yet this violence often stays hidden from the therapist, surfacing only partially, if at all. And when it is identified, therapist fear and uncertainty about contraindication frequently lead to couples being turned away, even when they're asking for help.

In many of these couples, it's the underlying negative interaction cycle — strong, heavy, and self-reinforcing — that sits at the core of the violence. These patterns are a real challenge for therapists to work with, and often the violence itself becomes central to the therapeutic process rather than something to work around. What's striking is that when violence is present, couples typically still want to stay together, want the violence to stop, and want to build something safer. The question is how we meet that desire when violence is so often treated as an automatic contraindication for couples therapy and EFT.

Jef Slootmaeckers, EFT trainer from Belgium, has drawn on new scientific research and his own clinical experience to develop a deeper understanding of this difficult relational drama. He is the co-author, along with Lieven Migerode and Linne De Loof, of Fighting for Connection: Perspectives on Conflict and Intimate Partner Violence — a book that reframes partner violence as a relational, attachment-based problem rather than purely a power struggle. It's written both for couples navigating escalation and for the professionals working alongside them.

In this workshop, Jef will offer the theoretical roadmap to help you:

• Understand intimate partner violence from an attachment perspective

• Learn how EFT can help couples fight for a healthier, safer connection

• Walk away with specific interventions you can use

• Understand the importance of — and how to conduct — thorough assessment

• Identify interventions that help couples de-escalate

• Recognize the attachment-based meanings underneath violence

• Know when and how to offer attachment reframes for violent enactments

• Explore your own blocks and challenges in working with this population

The workshop includes:

• Engaging instruction with real opportunities for Q&A

• Review of clinical video

• Personal reflection exercises

• Participant dialogue and discussion

• First 30 Registrants will received a signed copy of Jef’s book!