Emotional Availability (EA) Basic Training 2026

The EA System, developed by Prof. Zeynep Biringen, is used to evaluate the observed quality of mother-child and father-child relationships, as well as other relationships. The EA System has been used to evaluate children who are typically developing as well as those who show atypical development, including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Down’s Syndrome, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Hearing and Visual Difficulties, as well as varied Internalizing and Externalizing Behavioral Problems.

Similarly, a wide range of parents can be evaluated, including low-risk (high income, high functioning) as well as higher risk families (e.g., lower income, those who have a history of unipolar or bipolar depression) as well as those who show personality disorders (e.g., borderline personality disorder).

Based on decades of research on attachment and Emotional Availability (EA), EA is applicable to a wide range of relationships, from mother-child, father-child, to professional caregivers, teachers, including children with typical as well as atypical development and helps improve your “powers of observation.” (see www.emotionalavailability.com).  EA has been used in a wide variety of cultures.

EA Basic 0-5 years:

All professionals using the EA System need to go through this foundational training—EA Basic. This online training is 3 days of a live workshop with Dr. Saara Salo, who has been an experienced EA Trainer for many years. Then, the reliability test is released by Zeynep Biringen, who does the certifications at this time. After completion of course, professionals are certified for 1-2 years.

Copyrighted/trademarked EA materials are available solely with authorized training.

Registration

Please complete the application forms that will be sent to you after registering to this course, which involves:

• a letter to describe each participant’s background/education and the purpose to which the EA Basic Training would be put (signed by the senior person on your team. If you are the senior person, it can be you who writes/signs the letter)
• the transfer of agreement form (completed, signed; combined into a single transfer of agreement document if there are multiple people). In addition, if you are a researcher, please indicate ’who’ your inter-rater reliability partner would be (see below).

Please send these two attachments (the letter and the transfer of agreement forms made into one document for your team) to me at saara.z.salo@helsinki.fi. I will forward them to Zeynep Biringen, who approves these applications.

Additional explanatory notes:

Clinicians can register solo; researchers need to be trained as a group (minimum of 2) so that they can have an inter-rater reliability partner for their research.  If someone on their research team will be the inter-rater reliability partner’s name needs to be stated in the letter and that they agree to this (with name/email address included).  If that person was trained some time ago, there may be the need to get that person refreshed with the 4.1 edition (with the brief refresher course) and the pricing on this is USD 200 flat fee, which includes the 4.1 manual. If registering as a ’group’ (minimum of 2), you need to work on the reliability test individually, which is done as an honor code that will be distributed. It will need to be signed by each attendee.

Pre-reading of articles (shared in a printables folder on box.com) and the hard-copy manual is required.

Please note, that there is a reliability test at the end of the course, done on your own time, but within 2 weeks of the course, and sent to Zeynep Biringen, zbiringen@eaparentchild.com; there is no additional cost for the reliability test.

Online Course details, Price and Payment:

• The course will be held through Zoom video conference service with participants being invited into the meeting via their e-mails.
• You can register for the course by filling out the form below. You will receive the required additional application form by email after you register.
• The course price is 850,00 e (+ VAT).

Course dates:

20. – 22.5.2026

Daily sessions from 9.00 to 16.00 Finnish local time

Participants:

Max 15, licenced mental health/social wellfare professionals

Trainer:

Saara Salo, PhD, licenced clinical psychologist and psychotherapist (Family/Couples, EFT) therapy, Parent-Infant Psychotherapy)
Theraplay-Trainer/Supervisor, MBT-F (Mentalizing Based Treatment for Families) Trainer

Participants need to register for the course by 30.3.2026

Organizer:

Pilke-klinikka Oy

Business ID: FI3391077-2
Oksasenktu 6 A 37
00100 Helsinki, Finland
Email: saara.salo@theraplay.fi
Tel: +358 50 571 7699