Meet the Trainers
Dr. Anna Oldershaw is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist, Reader in Clinical Psychology and the Director of the Emotion Focused Therapy Institute of England. She is an accredited international trainer and supervisor in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). She is a Reader in Clinical Psychology at the Salomons Institute for Applied Psychology, Canterbury Christ Church University from which she holds her clinical doctorate. Anna also holds a research PhD from King’s College London.
With over 20 years of clinical and research experience in the NHS and private practice, she specialises in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) and Schema Therapy, focusing on eating disorders, developmental trauma, and neurodivergence. Anna is passionate about researching and improving interventions available for people with eating disorders, especially people with more complex presentations, longstanding illness and/or neurodivergent presentations. It is this passion which saw her lead on the development of an innovative new psychotherapeutic intervention for adults with anorexia (the SPEAKS approach).
Anna divides her time between seeing clients, supervising mental health professionals, clinical research, and training NHS psychologists of the future. Anna is especially passionate about EFT training and practice and the training she provides for mental health professionals through the Emotion Focused Therapy Institute of England.
Anna is known for her warm approach and for providing training that is engaging, exciting and accessible. She creates collaborative relationships with her training participants, reflecting her core values of empathy, respect and prizing of individuals. She fosters safe and supportive training spaces where people feel secure to bring their authentic selves and and work effectively towards their individual goals.
Anna is recognised for providing training that is neuroinclusive, creating a neuroaffirmative environment where participants can openly share their needs and differences. She also uniquely and seamlessly integrates adaptations for neurodivergent clients throughout her training, enhancing the learning of attendees.
Interested in training with Anna or learning more about upcoming EFT programs? Visit our training pages, or connect with her directly using the Contact Me form or via LinkedIn.
Join our contacts list for early access to all of our trainings with Anna.
Amy Peach is a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist with extensive NHS experience working as clinical lead in an NHS primary care service, where she delivered both group and individual therapy. She specialises in supporting adults experiencing moderate to severe mental health difficulties, including depression, PTSD, and various anxiety disorders.
Amy is also a practitioner in Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) and Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). Amy has been delivering EFT in her practice since training in early 2023 and is passionate about supporting therapists to learn EFT after seeing how powerful it has been for her clients. Amy now works in private practice, primarily spending her time offering therapy online, alongside her work training other mental health professionals in CFT and EFT.
Amy is known for her warmth and non-judgemental approach, showing consideration and compassion to the training needs of all participants. EFT trainings are enriched by her co-facilitation of skills practices in which she works alongside participants to coach them in their learning and by offering powerful live demonstrations.
Interested in working with Amy or learning more about her therapeutic approach? Visit our EFT training pages for more information.
Dr. Lisa Roddam is a dedicated Counselling Psychologist who gained her doctorate in Counselling Psychology from the University of Roehampton, UK. She has a profound interest in women’s mental health, particularly in eating disorders. Lisa has over 10 years of clinical experience in eating disorders within the NHS, and now is in a senior position as the Lead for Psychological Therapies in Eating Disorders at a large NHS service.
Lisa trained in EFT and in SPEAKS during the SPEAKS feasibility trial, going on to become one of the main therapists delivering SPEAKS during that trial. Through this she gained extensive experience in applying SPEAKS in practice.
Lisa is known for her thoughtfulness, reflectiveness and client-centered approach. She brings extensive experience of working with people with eating disorders in clinical practice.
Interested in learning more about Lisa’s work on upcoming training programs? Visit our SPEAKS training pages for more information.
Dr. Christina Michael is a Senior Counselling Psychologist and the Clinical Director of the Cyprus Institute for Emotion Focused Therapy (CiEFT). She is an accredited international trainer and supervisor in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT). She is a visiting lecturer at the Doctorate of Counselling Psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University and Strathclyde University Scotland from which she holds her doctorate. After her doctorate, Christina specialised in Emotion Focused Therapy in Glasgow, trained by Robert Elliott, Les Greenberg and Lorna Carrick.
With over a decade of experience, Christina has worked across various settings in Scotland and Cyprus, including the NHS, universities, and private practice. She is passionate about therapy and at CiEFT she splits her time in between seeing clients, supervising mental health professionals, and delivering training.
Christina works closely with us at the Emotion Focused Therapy Institute of England. Together she and Dr Anna Oldershaw run their annual Advanced Skills (Level 2) training and supervised practice groups (Level 3).
Christina is known for her warm, collaborative, and experiential teaching style. She emphasises the development of strong therapeutic relationships and fosters a supportive learning environment.
Interested in training with Christina or learning more about upcoming EFT programs? Visit our training pages, the Cyprus Institute for Emotion Focused Therapy or connect with her directly via LinkedIn.
Dr. Robert Elliott is a co-developer of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and taught clinical psychology at the University of Toledo for nearly 30 years. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Counselling at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
Dr. Elliott has authored or co-authored over 170 journal articles and book chapters, including seminal works such as Facilitating Emotional Change and Learning Emotion-Focused Therapy. He has served as President of the Society for Psychotherapy Research and co-edited journals like Psychotherapy Research and Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies.
Dr. Robert Elliott has been recognized for his significant contributions to psychotherapy, particularly in the development of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). His accolades include:
Robert is renowned for his experiential, process-oriented teaching style. He emphasises the importance of moment-to-moment emotional processing and the therapeutic relationship. His trainings are grounded in empirical research and enriched by decades of clinical experience, offering participants both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
Interested in training with Robert or learning more about upcoming EFT programs? Visit Robert’s website or our EFT training pages for more information.
Dr. Leslie Greenberg is the primary developer of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). As Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Psychology at York University in Toronto, he has been instrumental in advancing psychotherapy research and training. Les studied engineering and worked as an engineer before earning his Ph.D. in psychology from York University in 1975. With his mentor Laura Rice, who had studied with Carl Rogers at the University of Chicago, he began psychotherapy process research, attempting to mathematically model therapist–client interactions and using techniques of task analysis.
Dr. Greenberg has authored numerous seminal texts on EFT, including Facilitating Emotional Change and Emotion-Focused Therapy: Coaching Clients to Work Through Emotions. His recent publications, such as Changing Emotion with Emotion (2021) and Working with Shame and Anger (2024), continue to influence contemporary therapeutic practices.
Dr. Les Greenberg has been recognised for his significant contributions to psychotherapy, particularly in the development of Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). His accolades include:
Known for his authentic and engaging teaching style, Dr. Greenberg integrates lectures, video demonstrations, and interactive discussions to enhance skill acquisition. He emphasises the importance of accessing and transforming maladaptive emotions to promote healing and personal growth. His workshops are renowned for their practical applicability and supportive learning environment.
Interested in training with Dr. Greenberg or learning more about upcoming EFT programs? Visit our EFT Training Pages and The Greenberg Institute for Emotion Focused Therapy for more information.
Dr. Sandra C. Paivio is a leading figure in the development of Emotion-Focused Therapy for Trauma (EFTT), an evidence-based approach tailored to address the complexities of relational trauma. With over 25 years of clinical and research experience, she has co-authored seminal works such as Emotion-Focused Therapy for Complex Trauma and Working with Emotions in Psychotherapy. Dr. Paivio is Professor Emerita at the University of Windsor and continues to contribute to the field through her private practice in Toronto and her role as a consultant at the York University Psychology Clinic.
Robert is renowned for his experiential, process-oriented teaching style. He emphasises the importance of moment-to-moment emotional processing and the therapeutic relationship. His trainings are grounded in empirical research and enriched by decades of clinical experience, offering participants both theoretical knowledge and practical skills.
Interested in training with Dr. Pavio? View available masterclasses on our EFT Training Page.
Tim van Wanrooij, Psy.D. (he/him, cis, white European, queer, neurodivergent) is a Counselling Psychologist who works in private practice in Dublin, specialising in Emotion-Focused Therapy and its application with individuals and romantic partners from diverse and marginalised backgrounds. Tim works with clients to address challenges related to relationships, sex, sexuality, and (marginalised) identity.
Additionally, he consults on increasing emotional intelligence within organisational settings and leadership positions, bridging clinical insights with broader societal impacts.
Dominique Mertens (she/her, Afro-Caribbean, cis, neurodivergent) is a clinical psychologist, supervisor, and EFT therapist from Belgium, working at the intersection of mental health and social justice. She supports marginalised clients – including people of colour, neurodivergent, and queer communities – and provides training and supervision for therapists with an emphasis on decolonizing psychotherapy, integrating EFT principles into collectivist approaches to care, healing, and activism