Emotionally focused therapy / EFT-A18-3
Family Attachment Language — Clinician dialogue
Guide a collaborative conversation about family attachment language while checking fit and participant choice.
15 minutes · Clinician script · Mental health professionals
Fictional example: A caregiver wants a teenager to know that asking for space will not end their care.
Use within your training and assessment of readiness. Family connection includes developmental needs and differences in power.
Invite and obtain permission
Offer: "Would it be useful to explore family attachment language using an ordinary or fictional example? We can adapt it, observe, or stop." Ask what the person wants from the conversation.
Elicit before teaching
Ask: "How does this show up, if at all, in your own words?" Offer this idea tentatively: Family connection includes developmental needs and differences in power. Ask what fits and what does not.
Guide the task
With an appropriately trained clinician, translate an adult caregiver's concern into an age-sensitive invitation without requiring a child's disclosure. Ask for permission before giving an example. Use this fictional illustration if useful: A caregiver wants a teenager to know that asking for space will not end their care.
Reflect and check accuracy
Reflect only what was offered: "I heard you describe ___. What did I miss?" Ask: How can the adult communicate care while respecting the young person's choice? Avoid assigning motives or interpreting silence as agreement.
Respond to a mismatch
If the person rejects the frame, say: "Thank you for correcting it. What would be more useful?" Return to their language or choose a different approach.
Close with agency
Ask which observation, question, or support request the person wants to keep. Confirm a manageable ending and appropriate follow-up; do not turn a tentative possibility into a homework obligation.
Prompts for this resource
- Readiness, permission, cultural context, and access needs to check:
- How can the adult communicate care while respecting the young person's choice?
- What would tell me to adapt, stop, or seek supervision?
Conceptual background
What is EFT? — International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy
Background on the approach only. Original exercises and wording are by More Than Therapy with AI assistance; the source does not validate or endorse these materials.