List of EDT Training Programs

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EDT (Experiential Dynamic Therapy) is a psychodynamic approach with an experiential clinical methodology, with a strong and particular emphasis on the importance of emotional experience as a key transformational part of therapy. EDT has its roots in the work of leading clinicians like Franz Alexander, David H. Malan, and Habib Davanloo; the work of each contributed to the development of a clinical methodology capable of accelerating the process of change, thus reducing the length and the cost of psychotherapy, without losing depth or effectiveness. The clinical methodology focused on the promotion and deepening of emotional experience that characterizes all the different EDT’s is firmly rooted in and occurs in the context of the interpersonal relationship between patient and therapist, which is seen as a genuine, personal, and respectful human interchange. For this reason, EDT is best suited to therapists who are willing to make the most out of their relational potential and who wish to learn how to use it at its best for the purpose of helping patients change.

Due to EDT’s psychodynamic framework, therapists need to be/become familiar with the dynamic theory of conflict, with conscious and unconscious emotional and cognitive processes, and with transference phenomena. At the same time, EDT is an experiential treatment, i.e. promoting and valuing the actual physical, emotional and mental experience of feelings, affects, emotions, impulses, needs, and desires. Since the focus is very much on the here-and-now interaction between patient and therapist, the videotaping of psychotherapy sessions conducted by therapist in training and the shared discussion of the therapist-patient interaction has proven to be the most direct and effective way to get acquainted with human emotions and their dynamics. For this reason, most of the EDT teaching and supervision process relies on videotaped psychotherapeutic sessions.

Training in EDT involves the attainment of expertise in all, but not only, the following: carrying out the evaluation interview, i.e., the trial therapy, and the selection of patients; psychodynamic assessment based on the process of the trial therapy; descriptive diagnosis; the development of a strong therapeutic relationship from the get-go; recognizing defenses; helping a patient to give up defenses; ameliorating the inhibiting impact of anxiety, shame, and guilt; facilitating the experience and expression of emotions; assisting change; bringing therapy to a close; and being/becoming skilled in conducting outcome evaluations after the termination of the therapy.

IEDTA Approved Training in EDT

All IEDTA supervisors are highly experienced clinicians with many years’ teaching experience. They rely on shared teaching and supervision criteria and methodology, and offer training either individually, or in connection with each other.

IEDTA Approved Training in EDT features a six-tiered set of opportunities:

1. Individual Supervision : The first level is individual supervision from an IEDTA faculty member or IEDTA approved supervisor. Arranged between trainee and supervisor, it usually involves supervision of the trainee’s clinical work from the videotapes of her/his therapy sessions.
2. Core Training : is a fundamental aspect of the formal training in EDT. It is an intensive course, meant for psychologists, psychiatrists, psychoanalysts, and other certified mental health professionals, wishing to become proficient in and/or upgrade their skills in EDT clinical methodology. It is based on theoretical teaching, supervision, and discussion of videotaped clinical cases presented by therapists and by supervisors. The objective of this course is the attainment of mastery in the EDT methodology.
   
   The Core Training format model is individual supervision in the context of a group. Each individual group member receives both individual supervision on her/his own cases, and is exposed to a wide variety of cases and clinical dilemmas through being able witness the other group members’ cases and supervisory experiences. Meetings usually take place over 1-3 full days, usually occur a few times a year.
   Some Core Training groups have an additional feature: in addition to the several meetings a year with the group leader/supervisor, one meeting a year, there is a guest supervisor. Thus, Core Training group participants are further exposed to different styles and models of EDT practice: this ultimately contributes to the fostering of a process whereby each trainee simultaneously develops competence in the practice and techniques of EDT, while also developing her/his own authentic therapeutic voice.
3. Theoretical and Clinical Seminars and Courses: addressing specific clinical and methodological aspects of EDT. They are either introductory, for a first approach to this method, or advanced, when focusing on specific clinical subjects or particular therapeutic techniques.
4. Workshops and Immersion Courses: These are intensive opportunities to be exposed to both the theory and practice of EDT as practiced by different practitioners. These workshops (usually 1-2 days) and immersion courses (usually 4-5 days) provide the opportunity for in-depth exposure to the different models of EDT theory and treatment. The clinical teaching is done from videotapes of actual therapy sessions conducted by the course leaders.
5. Informal Exposure to EDT Clinical Research Methodology: Some IEDTA Supervisors who work at universities and research institutes offer the opportunity to participate in research groups investigating the clinical use of EDT methodology.
6. International Conferences in EDT: IEDTA sponsors an international conference every two years. At these conferences, practitioners in the forefront of EDT gather to present their work and advance the theoretical and clinical aspects of EDT by dialogue with one another and by exposure to each other's work. New developments in theory and practice are often the outgrowth of these meetings. For those attending these international conferences, there is a unique opportunity to be exposed to the variety of different EDT’s and experience for oneself how overlap in certain fundamental ways, and diverge in others.

Certification in EDT: Uniform EDT certification criteria and guidelines are in the process of being developed. Currently, certification is being handled locally by each IEDTA-sponsored trainer/supervisor.

For more information please contact Allen Kalpin, MD, President IEDTA.

Please supply the following information.

For more information regarding EDT training opportunities in your area, as well as training opportunities in a specific EDT, click:

List of EDT Training Programs