Emotion-Focused Therapy in the Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder

NCT ID: NCT07207512

Last Updated: 2025-12-04

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 128 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-09-01
• Study Completion Date: 2027-12-01

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) works to reduce symptoms of Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) in adults. PGD happens when the pain of losing a loved one lasts a long time and causes serious problems in daily life.

• The main questions this study aims to answer are:

1. Does EFT lower grief symptoms in adults with PGD?

2. Does EFT also help with related problems, such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and overall distress?

• Who can take part:

Adults (18 years or older) who lost a loved one at least 6 months ago and meet the criteria for PGD.

• What will happen in the study:

Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups:

1. EFT group: 8 to 10 weekly, face-to-face therapy sessions with a trained therapist.

2. Self-help group: 10 weekly self-help exercises based on EFT, completed on their own.

• All participants will complete questionnaires on grief, mood, and well-being before starting, during the study, at the end of treatment (12 weeks), and again at 5 months and 12 months after starting.
• In the EFT group, the therapeutic relationship will also be measured during sessions 3 and 8.
• Why this study is important:

Most current treatments for grief are based on cognitive-behavioral therapy, but not everyone benefits from them. EFT is a promising therapy that focuses on emotions and has shown positive results for other mental health problems. This trial will test if EFT can be an effective treatment for people struggling with prolonged grief.

Conditions

Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD)

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: QUADRUPLE

Study Groups

Emotion-Focused Therapy for Grief

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Emotion-Focused Therapy for Grief

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The EFT intervention will follow the model described in EFT for grief. Its main goal is to transform core emotional pain (e.g., chronic shame) by activating change-inducing emotions (e.g., assertive anger), a process described as "changing emotion with emotion." This work takes place within a safe and supportive therapeutic relationship, characterized by the therapist's empathic, accepting, and compassionate stance. Therapists remain attuned to emotional markers (e.g., self-criticism, unfinished business) that signal opportunities for targeted work on specific affective problems, which are usually addressed through experiential tasks such as the Empty-Chair for Unfinished Business. Although EFT is transdiagnostic, grief work has certain distinctive features, such as the central role of experiencing grief-related sadness and fostering a sense of connection with the deceased.

self-help intervention based on Emotion-Focused Therapy

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Self-help intervention based on EFT

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

The self-help intervention consists of 10 written exercises designed to address different aspects of grief. These include psychoeducation, emotional regulation, focusing on bodily awareness, softening self-criticism, reducing avoidance, managing anxiety and fear, clarifying confusing emotional reactions, processing trauma, imaginal dialogues with the deceased, and cultivating compassion.

Interventions

Emotion-Focused Therapy for Grief

The EFT intervention will follow the model described in EFT for grief. Its main goal is to transform core emotional pain (e.g., chronic shame) by activating change-inducing emotions (e.g., assertive anger), a process described as "changing emotion with emotion." This work takes place within a safe and supportive therapeutic relationship, characterized by the therapist's empathic, accepting, and compassionate stance. Therapists remain attuned to emotional markers (e.g., self-criticism, unfinished business) that signal opportunities for targeted work on specific affective problems, which are usually addressed through experiential tasks such as the Empty-Chair for Unfinished Business. Although EFT is transdiagnostic, grief work has certain distinctive features, such as the central role of experiencing grief-related sadness and fostering a sense of connection with the deceased.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Self-help intervention based on EFT

The self-help intervention consists of 10 written exercises designed to address different aspects of grief. These include psychoeducation, emotional regulation, focusing on bodily awareness, softening self-criticism, reducing avoidance, managing anxiety and fear, clarifying confusing emotional reactions, processing trauma, imaginal dialogues with the deceased, and cultivating compassion.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Adults (≥18 years).
• Undergoing a grief process (including perinatal grief).
• Meeting diagnostic criteria for Prolonged Grief Disorder (bereavement occurring six months or more prior to the loss; PG-13-R score ≥30).
• Provision of informed consent.
• Stable psychopharmacological medication for at least six weeks prior to therapy onset, with physician approval to maintain stability during the intervention.

Exclusion Criteria

• Concurrent psychological treatment
• Bereavement occurring less than six months prior to the loss
• Substance abuse
• Eating disorder
• Psychosis;
• Organic brain syndrome
• Suicide risk
• Risk of harm to others.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Sponsors

Universidad Pontificia Comillas

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

José Gamoneda Larripa

Associate professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

José Gamoneda, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Universidad Pontificia Comillas

Locations

Unidad Clínica de Psicología de la Universidad Pontificia Comillas (UNINPSI)

Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Countries

Spain

Central Contacts

José Gamoneda, PhD

Role: CONTACT

jgamoneda@comillas.edu

+34636894995

Rafael Jódar, PhD

Role: CONTACT

rafajodar@comillas.edu

91 734 39 50

Facility Contacts

José Gamoneda, PhD

Role: primary

jgamoneda@comillas.edu

636894995

Other Identifiers

UPComillas-EFT-PGD

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id