Emotion-Focused Therapy in the Treatment of Prolonged Grief Disorder

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)

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

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.

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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universidad Pontificia Comillas

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• José Gamoneda, PhD · Universidad Pontificia Comillas

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-09-01

Primary Completion

2026-09-01

Completion

2027-12-01

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations