Robert Elliott, Ph.D., received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and taught clinical psychology at the University of Toledo (Ohio) for nearly 30 years; during that time, in collaboration with Leslie Greenberg and Laura Rice, he developed Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). He currently spends half of his time based in Scotland, where he is Professor of Counselling in the School of Psychological Sciences and Health at the University of Strathclyde and where he directs its research clinic and teaches counselling research and EFT. The rest of the time, he is based in Northern California, where he is busy with various EFT-related writing projects. He delivers EFT training all over the world and serves on the board of the International Society for Emotion-Focused Therapy. His central interest is the change process in humanistic-experiential psychotherapies. He is co-author of Facilitating emotional change (1993), Learning process-experiential psychotherapy (2004), Research methods in clinical psychology (3rd ed., 2015), as well as more than 170 journal articles and book chapters. He is past president of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, and previously co-edited the journals Psychotherapy Research, and Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies. He is a fellow in the divisions of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Humanistic Psychology of the American Psychological Association. In 2009 he received the Distinguished Research Career Award of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, and the Carl Rogers Award from the Division of Humanistic Psychology of the American Psychological Association. He enjoys running, science fiction and all kinds of music.
Lorna Dawson (Formerly Carrick) MSc, preferred pronouns she/her is a Teaching Fellow at the University of Strathclyde Where she teaches on the MSc’s in Person-Centred Psychotherapy and Counselling and on the Counselling Unit’s Advanced Professional Training Programme. She has a private practice that includes EFT Therapy, Supervision and Training.
She has developed several mental health projects and is a founder Member of the Clydesdale Counselling and Human Development Project which received NHS and third sector funding for over17 years. Her main interests are practice supervision, training and research, development of theory particularly in: Trauma and Crisis, Social Anxiety, PCE Counselling for Depression and Pre-therapy for clients with psychological contact difficulties.
Lorna has an MA Honors Degree in Psychology from The University of Glasgow and worked as a Clinical Psychologist for Tayside NHS prior to becoming Director of the Strathclyde Children in Care Scheme for the Strathclyde Social Work Department. She has a MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy from The University of Strathclyde and has been a Mental health therapist for more than 35 years.
Joan Shearer is an Accredited EFT Therapist, Supervisor and Trainer. She completed a PG Diploma in Person-centred Counselling; Emotion-Focused Therapy Levels 1-3; Advanced Professional Training in Relational Supervision and an MSc in Counselling at the University of Strathclyde (2010-2018).
She has a broad range of experience working in a number of counselling services and currently works at a private psychiatric hospital. Joan’s passion for EFT began early in her career while working on a Research Project on Person-centred & Experiential therapies for Social Anxiety, under the supervision of Robert Elliott. She also has an interest in teaching and is currently working as a tutor on the MSc in Counselling & Psychotherapy at the University of Strathclyde.
Joan is a qualified yoga teacher delivering classes specifically designed to address wellbeing and mild to moderate mental health difficulties.

Ligia is bringing her extensive clinical experience of working with clients with complex presentations and her passion for supporting therapists in their professional development, through the different roles she has had as a manager, supervisor, and trainer. Alongside her SI-EFT colleagues, she is dedicating her time to supporting the development of the EFT community in Scotland, seeing EFT supervisees, offering EFT training, as well as networking and further CPD opportunities. Ligia has recently submitted her MPhil Thesis in EFT Collaborative Case Formulation and bringing her research findings into the EFT training.
