CE Trainings for mental health professionals

grounded in attachment theory and emotionally focused therapy

Close-up of a woman's hands holding a smartphone, seated in a waiting area, with other people visible in the background.
A woman with a distressed expression touching her forehead during a therapy session with a counselor who is taking notes.

Hard conversations are unavoidable in therapy. This training shows you how to hold boundaries, invite “no,” and repair ruptures—ethically and attachment-savvy—so clients feel safer, not smaller.

Courageous Conversations

An Attachment-Informed Framework for Clinical Ethics

A 3 hour CE workshop for individual, couple, and family therapists

Why this training

Ethics that clients can feel.

Relational ethics sits underneath every principle we quote. Using attachment science and therapeutic alliance research, we teach you to create a secure base—so consent is real, boundaries are clear, and repairs deepen trust.

You’ll practice, not just listen.

Expect brief demos, case vignettes, and a safely scaffolded “saying no” exercise to embody consent, autonomy, and repair.

A man sitting on a light-colored sofa with a yellow pillow, holding his head with both hands, appearing distressed or upset, in a well-lit living room.

What you’ll learn

  1. Understand the core principles of attachment theory relevant to clinical ethics and difficult conversations.

  2. Apply APA ethical principles (beneficence/non-maleficence, fidelity, respect for rights & dignity) through an attachment lens when stakes are high.

  3. Recognize when consent is compromised—and what to do when a client cannot comfortably refuse or disagree.

  4. Identify at least two of your own protective strategies (e.g., over-explaining, placating, over-controlling) and the attachment fears underneath.

  5. Conceptualize how attachment patterns shape client reactions to boundaries, feedback, and rupture-repair moments.

A smiling woman with curly black hair wearing a mustard yellow sweater, holding eyeglasses in one hand and a clipboard with a pen in her lap, sitting on a gray couch in a bright living room.

Join Us for Courageous Conversations

  • Houston, TX

    January 31, 2026
    8:45 am - 12:30 pm

    Join the Houston Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy for a networking breakfast and our workshop.

    Location: Council on Recovery
    303 Jackson Hill Street
    Houston, TX, 77007

    RSVP

  • Houston, TX

    March 27, 2026
    9:00 am - 12:00 pm

    Join us for the Houston Psychological Associations Ethics workshop. Networking breakfast and lunch available.

    Coming Soon

  • Albuquerque, NM

    April 25, 2026
    1:00 - 4:00 pm

    Join the New Mexico Emotionally Focused Therapy Community for our workshop.

    RSVP

We’re Tahlia Rainbolt, PhD and Laura C. Spiller, PhD—psychologists, trainers, and ICEEFT-certified supervisors who believe ethics should feel relational, not rigid.

Since 2021 we’ve co-led trainings and consultation that help therapists hold clear boundaries without losing the bond.

Our style is grounded, practical, and very human: we model a secure base so participants can practice safe-enough discomfort, invite a client’s “no,” and repair when it matters most.

What we bring

  • Supervisor-level EFT perspective + deep attachment science

  • Real-world scripts for consent, limits, transparency, and repair

  • A supportive learning atmosphere (small group, hands-on, zero shaming)

About Us

A woman with curly black hair smiling outdoors with a blurred green background.

Meet Dr. Laura Spiller

Laura is a Texas-licensed psychologist, couples/relationship specialist, and founder of Heights Couples Therapy and PractiSage. A former university faculty member and clinic training director, she has supervised and taught therapists for years and served in professional leadership, including as President of the Houston Psychological Association and Houston Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy.

Meet Dr. Tahlia Rainbolt

Tahlia is a New Mexico-licensed psychologist and ICEEFT-Certified Supervisor who trains and consults with clinicians integrating attachment-informed ethics into everyday practice. Active in EFT community leadership, she designs experiential, alliance-focused learning that helps therapists welcome disagreement, use metacommunication, and move confidently toward repair.

A mature woman with short gray hair outdoors, wearing a light-colored button-up shirt, looking contemplative with a soft expression, in a natural setting with trees and flowers in the background.

 FAQs

  • Secure Base Training is seeking approval to offer continuing education credit for this program. Final details will be posted upon confirmation. Whether the CE certificate is included or an extra charge depends on the pricing set by the hosting organization.

  • Item desWe aim to be fair and predictable. All windows below reference the program start date and local time at the venue (or host platform).

    Participant cancels

    • ≥ 30 days prior: 100% refund minus a $25 administrative fee or one free transfer to a comparable SBT program within 12 months.

    • 14–29 days prior: 50% refund or one free transfer within 12 months.

    • < 14 days or no-show: No refund. At any time before the program begins, you may transfer your seat to a qualified colleague at no cost (email us their full name, credentials, and email).

    • How to cancel/transfer: Email securebasetraining@gmail.com

    • Refund method & timing: Approved refunds are returned to the original form of payment within 10 business days. Any third-party payment processing fees are non-refundable.

    SBT cancels, reschedules, or converts format

    • If SBT cancels, you may choose a full refund or a free transfer to a future offering.

    If SBT reschedules or converts to live online delivery for reasons beyond its control (e.g., illness, venue failure, extreme weather), you may accept the change or request a full refund.

  • No. It’s an attachment-informed ethics training focused on difficult conversations in therapy.

  • No. We’ll cover the essentials and apply them to ethics and consent.

  • Yes, there will be brief, opt-in micro-practices with clear instructions and alternatives for observers.

  • Yes! Please contact us for on-site or private online cohorts.

Get in Touch

Handwriting notes in a small notepad during a therapy or counseling session, with another person sitting across and blurred in the background.