Mission

Welcome to the European Family Therapy Association Training Institutes Chamber

Why do we need a European Chamber of Training Institutes?

We have witnessed the field of family therapy in Europe evolve into a strong scientific modality encompassing increasing diversity in recent years. This process has contributed to the founding of a substantial number of family therapy training institutes. Many of these Institutes are now members of EFTA-TIC -125 in 27 countries. The prospect of promoting further enriching developments through the networking of institutes emerges…

What are our challenges?

1. Legislation: given the inevitable development of laws by national governments regarding the training and practice of psychotherapy, we need to develop a broad consensus on the European level which respects the diversity and creativity of training in our field. We will then be in a strong position to negotiate.
2. Training in Training: the many diverse training approaches developed throughout Europe offer a major resource for experiential learning through professional and personal communication among trainers. We aim to create a process of interaction where we, as trainers, learn from each other and thereby contribute to the maturing of our profession of training as a whole.
3. Sharing Specialists’ Expertise: colleagues from European training institutes have developed high levels of expertise in specific areas of our field. We wish to organise regular events across Europe where the acquisition and sharing of this expertise will be enhanced.
4. Exchange of Students: professional mobility throughout the EU will be enhanced through undertaking training in institutes in other European countries. We hope to coordinate a framework of exchange to facilitate students’ experience through their participation in the training activities of other institutes.
5. Research: with current pressure for evidence-based practice and our own need to monitor the effectiveness of training programmes, it is crucial that we share evidence and, where possible, co-ordinate research efforts. Furthermore, an expanding and more diverse Europe increases our need for research in cross-cultural processes regarding family dynamics, therapy and training.
6. Online resources: The EFTA-TIC website provides information on the activities of the chamber. It is in the process of being developed to provide a forum for the sharing of ideas and experiences. It has a link to the main EFTA newsletter which publishes new writing and research from trainers.

The Training Institutes Chamber is one of the three chambers of EFTA. The others are the Chamber of Individuals (EFTA-CIM) and the Chamber of National Family Therapy Organisations (EFTA-NFTO). These chambers work collaboratively based on mutual autonomy and interdependence.

The EFTA-TIC Board invites all family therapy trainers and Institutes to participate in achieving these challenging and exciting goals.

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