Quick Details


Training Dates

Module 1: February 26-27, 2026 (Online)

Day 1: 9am-5pm/Day 2: 9am-2pm PST

Module 2: April 9-10, 2026 (Online)

Day 1: 9am-5pm/Day 2: 9am-2pm PST

Module 3: May 29-30, 2026 (Online)

Day 1: 9am-5pm/Day 2: 9am-2pm PST

Module 4A: June 26, 2026 (Online)

Day 1: 9am-1pm PST

Module 4B: July 24, 2026- IN PERSON

Day 1: 9am-6pm PST

EFT Core Skills 2026: Online & in San Diego

Deepen your clinical skill. Strengthen your therapeutic presence. Learn to intervene with precision and heart.

Join Dr. Sam Jinich and Natalia Gilabert, ICEEFT Trainer for Argentina, for a uniquely accessible, small-group Core Skills training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). 

This series blends English and Spanish instruction throughout, making it one of the few opportunities worldwide to receive advanced EFT training accessible to clinicians who work in English, Spanish, or both.

You do not need to be fluent in both languages to participate – this experience is designed to support clinicians working across cultures and languages who want to strengthen their EFT practice and deepen their understanding of attachment, emotion, and connection.

Who this is for

This training is designed for clinicians who are serious about integrating Emotionally Focused Therapy into their clinical practice. It is especially valuable for:

  • Licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals
  • Clinicians who have completed the EFT Externship
  • Therapists currently working with 1–3 couples in an ongoing capacity
  • Practitioners seeking EFT certification or greater clinical grounding in attachment-based work


Whether you are new to EFT or returning to the model after some time, this series provides a step-by-step structure to help you embody EFT with confidence and clarity—in either language.

Why Core Skills?

Core Skills is where the EFT model becomes embodied – moving from cognitive understanding to clinical intuition and emotional attunement.

This training supports therapists in:

  • Tracking emotional cues and attachment signals in session
  • Becoming fluent in the language of affect and interpersonal safety
  • Using the EFT Tango to guide session flow without rigidity
  • Practicing interventions that reshape relational cycles, not just manage them
  • Receiving direct, strengths-based feedback on your real-life clinical work


By the end of the series, many therapists report a profound shift – not only in how they practice, but in how they understand themselves in the therapy room.


Event Details

Completing all 4 modules (48 hours) meets ICEEFT certification requirement

Schedule:

For each two-day module, the daily schedule is:

Day 1: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. PST

Day 2: 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. PST

Quick Details:

Languages: English & Spanish (real-time interpretation)

Location: Fully online with optional hybrid component

Tuition: $1,720 (save $100 when paid in full)

Installment Options: 6 x $263 | 6 x $303 (community) | 4 x $455

CEs Available: 48 CE hours Purchase Here


Scholarships are being made available through Renova San Diego. 

For more information about scholarships, please email [email protected]


Cancellation Policy
You may cancel your registration anytime before January 27, 2026. A nonrefundable fee of $75 will be withheld from your refund for processing and administrative costs. This fee also reflects that Core Skills has limited capacity and a space was reserved specifically for you.

Any cancellations without 30 day notice (after January 27th, 2026) will incur a $150 nonrefundable fee. This reflects both administrative costs and the limited enrollment, as your reserved spot may be difficult to fill on short notice.

To cancel and request a refund, please email [email protected].


Meet Your Trainers

Sam Jinich, PhD

Sam Jinich, PhD is a Certified Trainer in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT). He has been a clinical psychologist in private practice since 1995, specializing in working with couples from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Jinich was born in Mexico City and received his PhD from the University of California/San Diego State University’s Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology where he focused on couples and family therapy. He did his postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine’s Center for AIDS Prevention Studies. In 2013, he founded the San Francisco Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy where he is the Director. More recently, he co-founded (with Natalia Gilabert,EFT trainer for Argentina) EFT Academiain Argentina, providing EFCT Master Classes, workshops, webinars, and supervision to clinicians around the world. As a bilingual and bicultural trainer in EFT, Dr. Jinich has been responsible for establishing EFCT in Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama, Brazil, Chile and Spain through mentoring and supervising therapists in these countries toward becoming EFCT practitioners, supervisors, and trainers. He was involved in the planning and supervision of therapists in the first-ever multi-national randomized clinical-trial research study in Spanish on the effectiveness of couples therapy in general, and specifically of EFCT. Dr. Jinich is particularly known for his creative and passionate presentations on EFCT.

Clinical Psychologist

Natalia Gilabert

Natalia Gilabert is a Clinical Psychologist with 25 years of experience as an individual and couples psychotherapist. She is a certified trainer by the International Centre of Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT), and has trained therapists in Latin America (Argentina, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic), Spain and The United States. She is the Founder and Academic Director of the "EFT Argentina" center, aimed at providing official ICEEFT training in the Spanish-speaking world. She conducts and leads emotional "Hold me Tight" workshops for couples in Argentina and Chile. Co-Founder and Co-Director of the International Center "EFT Academia", dedicated to providing Specialization Courses in Couples Therapy based on the EFT model. Natalia teaches Master Classes that focus on high-conflict and highly cognitive couples, Infidelity and Attachment, and Erotic Intimacy and Attachment. She is the Cc-founder, co-director, and faculty at CEAP International Center for Adult Attachment and Psychotherapy, aimed at offering Specialization Diplomates and Postgraduate Training Courses in Adult Attachment. She provides supervision for therapists at an international level, and is part of the Supervisors Staff for Research in EFT Couples Therapy at the University of Navarra. She participates as a lecturer in postgraduate and Magister programs at Chilean Universities and is a prominent speaker at Latin American Congresses as a reference in Adult Attachment and Couples Therapy.​ Natalia is known for her emotionally attuned, experiential, and trauma-informed approach to couples therapy, integrating attachment science with contemporary relational models. She is recognized for her ability to guide couples into transformative emotional encounters that foster bonding and secure connection. She has been instrumental in developing bilingual training initiatives and expanding access to EFT for clinicians across diverse cultural contexts. Through EFT Academia and CEAP, she has created innovative, research-informed curricula that blend attachment science, EFT interventions, and clinical applications for therapists at various levels of training.​

Dr. Lisa J Palmer-Olsen

Dr. Lisa J. Palmer-Olsen, PsyD, LMFT, is an internationally recognized leader in attachment-based psychotherapy, supervision, and clinician training. She has been a Certified Trainer with the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) since 2003 and has trained thousands of therapists throughout North America and internationally. She is the Executive Director and Founder of Renova San Diego, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing access to life-saving family mental health treatment and therapist training. An AAMFT Approved Supervisor and internationally certified EFT Supervisor, Dr. Palmer-Olsen specializes in couples, families, trauma, and betrayal recovery. She is a co-author of *Emotionally Focused Family Therapy: Restoring Connection and Promoting Resilience* and has contributed extensively to the development of Emotionally Focused Family Therapy. Her scholarly work includes publications on EFT supervision and the training of experiential therapists, helping shape the field's understanding of effective clinical supervision. She is also the developer of the Four Chambers of the Heart of Supervision model, an attachment-based framework for cultivating therapist growth, reflective practice, and clinical excellence. Throughout her career, Dr. Palmer-Olsen has been committed to integrating research, neuroscience, and experiential practice to strengthen relationships and promote healing. As a speaker, trainer, and consultant, she is known for her engaging teaching style and her ability to translate complex clinical concepts into practical interventions. She continues to advance the fields of Emotionally Focused Therapy, supervision, and trauma treatment through her clinical work, writing, leadership, and international training programs.