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Ronald Asiimwe &
Pendo Galukande
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Couple Therapy in Uganda: Training and Implementation of Emotionally Focused Therapy in Culturally Diverse Context in Uganda
Experiences of violence in intimate relationships are on the increase in Uganda and have led to breakdown in marriages and family relationships. Studies indicate that 54% of women experience intimate partner violence (IPV; physical, emotional, and sexual) in their lifetime. Research in evidenced-based relationship interventions offers strong support for their effectiveness in treating couple relationship distress. Despite the uptake of relational interventions such as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) in some parts the of the world, including in Africa (e.g., in South Africa), training in Couple and Family Therapy work is still lacking in Uganda. Most mental health training at high institutions of learning in Uganda is still based on Western models of individual psychotherapy (primarily counseling psychology and clinical psychology). Due to the collectivistic cultural values, Ugandan couples look to their relationships (e.g., with intimate partners) for health, wellness, and survival. Given the value attached to relationships in Uganda, we propose that the introduction of attachment and EFT work in clinical practice has the potential to impact marital relationships and lead to long-lasting-genuine bonds among individuals in intimate relationships in Uganda. In this session, we will present about our ongoing Couple and Family Therapy initiative in Uganda. Briefly, the initiative is a collaboration between Ugandan MFTs and a team international experts in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) that aims to bring EFT to Ugandan mental health practitioners. Additionally, we will provide concrete suggestions for cultural considerations in the training and implementation of EFT in the diverse Ugandan cultural context. We will end our presentation with an invitation for participants to partner with us in our efforts to introduce EFT/Couple and Family Therapy work to Uganda.
Learning Objectives
- Participants will be introduced to the Couple and Family Therapy Initiative/EFT Uganda Project.
- Participants will be exposed to extant literature on couple and relationship distress in Uganda.
- Participants will learn how the evidence-based EFT model based in attachment theory work can be used to facilitate positive relationship experiences in a diverse cultural context in Uganda.
- Participants will have the chance to reflect on how they would like to be involved in supporting overall couple and family therapy work in Uganda.
Continuing Education Units
You can receive up to 2.0 CEs for this webinar series. Click Here for information on CEs. Approved for LMFTs, LPCs, and LCSWs in Wisconsin.
Non-Members
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