Quarterly and Monthly Seminars

Love on the Spectrum: EFT and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Presented by Dr. Braden Josephson

Emotionally focused couple’s therapists often measure the success of therapy by a couple’s improved ability to send and to respond effectively to emotional cues. These emotional cues signal distress, longing, pleasure, care, and so much more. When the cues are sent out clearly and responded to effectively, couples experience an increase in their sense of connection and relationship satisfaction, and they use their relationship and their partner(s) as secure bases. 

The presence of autistic features within one or both partners can be a unique challenge for therapists and couples to navigate, in part because neurological differences may disrupt emotional attunement, leading to attachment ruptures without repair and challenges with perspective taking. Partners may feel unseen and alone, and they may become resentful when their emotional needs are unmet. Couples become stuck in a cycle of pursuit via blame and withdrawal activated by shame. Further, therapists can find themselves drawn into the cycle via feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and a lack of direction for intervention. 

This training is designed to educate therapists about the basics of autism and common ways that it presents within couples’ dynamics, and then to demonstrate why Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) remains an effective course of treatment. Therapists will walk away with a treatment map that helps them locate and connect with couples in the EFT stages of treatment, utilize the 5 steps of the Tango, and assist couples in creating new, positive cycles where partners become more accessible, responsive, and engaged.

Join the Philadelphia Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy (PCEFT) and presenter Braden Josephson for this 2-hour online training on Monday, March 20, 2023, 12-2PM EST.

Monday, March 20, 2023
12-2 PM (ET)

Online via Zoom

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Dr. Braden Josephson is a New York State licensed clinical and school psychologist and doctoral level behavior analyst (BCBA-D) with over 25 years of experience. He has expertise in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, Community Reinforcement and Family Training (CRAFT), Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and providing assessment, parent training, case supervision and therapy for individuals with both addiction and autism and their families.

He received his BA from Skidmore University, his master’s degree from Connecticut College, his Ph.D. from Hofstra University and his BCBA from Penn State. Dr. Josephson trained at Four Winds Psychiatric Hospital in Saratoga and has worked with veterans diagnosed with PTSD at the Providence VA Medical Center at Brown University. Before becoming EFT trained, Dr. Josephson oversaw agencies that provided psychological and behavioral services to individuals with autism and their families where he provided support to couples with special needs children. He is passionate about helping couples form strong, supportive and securely attached bonds as they seek to strengthen their relationships through improved understanding and communication.