Trauma Workshop – November 2025 – In person

Working with Trauma and Emotional Pain: Melissa Harte’s Expanded Focusing Task

The impact of trauma is far-reaching and work with survivors of trauma can be intense and confusing for both therapist and client. Overwhelming emotions at times lead to dissociation, therapeutic rupture, and poor outcomes. The challenge is to create an experience of safety for clients so they can explore distressing emotional experiences that have felt unapproachable.

In this experiential workshop, learn how to create the safety that enables clients to transform their emotional experiences using the Extended Focusing Task, as outlined in Dr Melissa Harte’s book Processing Emotional Pain Using Emotion Focused Therapy: A guide to safely working with and resolving emotional injuries and trauma. The Extended Focusing Task can have a profound impact on the lives of people living with the consequences of trauma and help them to feel empowered by their emotions and better equipped to live an enriched life.

This training will include trauma intervention principles and the foundations for safe trauma processing, key Emotion Focused Therapy skills for working with trauma, a step-by-step guide to using the Extended Focusing Task, and a full video demonstration by Dr Melissa Harte.

Working alongside Dr Melissa Harte for over a decade, Lou has been part of creating a vibrant EFT community in Melbourne and, since Dr Harte passed in February 2021, is honoured to be able to continue Dr Harte’s trauma-informed training using the Extended Focusing Task

No prior experience with Emotion Focused Therapy is required to attend.

 

Learning Outcomes:

Identify Trauma in your clients: Recognise how trauma manifests in clients emotionally, behaviorally, and physically.

Create a safe therapeutic environment: Establish and maintain a secure space for clients to process traumatic memories.

Maintain client safety during processing: Learn strategies to keep clients safe while addressing traumatic memories.

Understand the protective function of emotions: Learn how emotions protect against pain and how to work with these emotions therapeutically.

Build therapist resilience: Develop your capacity to hold and respond to clients’ emotional pain effectively.

The Expanded Focusing Task: Learn and practice the steps of Melissa Harte’s Expanded Focusing Task for trauma processing.


Location:  AIEFT, Level 1, 16A Toorak Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141

Parking:  There is some street parking available around the area, however, there is also an underground parking garage just off Toorak Road on Macfarlan Place which costs a little over $5. Street parking on Sundays is free.

Train:  Get off at South Yarra station. Turn right as you come out of the train station heading towards Punt Road (not Chapel Street). We are on the left hand side near Punt Road.

Tram:  Catch the No. 8 to Toorak. Get off at Stop 28. Cross over Punt Road and cross over Toorak Road at the lights. We are at the end of the first block.

Self Catering:  Tea/coffee and morning/afternoon tea will be provided. Lunch is BYO or there are plenty of options on Toorak Road.

DO NOT ATTEND IF YOU ARE FEELING UNWELL. If you have registered for a training workshop and cannot attend due to symptoms, you will have the option to credit the training fee towards a future event.

Dr Lou Cooper (she/they) - Lead Trainer

Lou is a Counselling Psychologist and the Lead Trainer of the Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy, accredited as a practitioner and trainer by the International Society for Emotion Focused Therapy (isEFT). She is the Director of Talking Emotions, a private practice based in Fitzroy specialising in EFT. For many years Lou has facilitated training in LGBTQ-inclusive practice, trauma-informed practice, and mental health in the workplace.

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