Adele Lafrance

Dr. Adele Lafrance is a clinical psychologist, research scientist, and author whose work has influenced the integration of family systems in mental health treatment. Lafrance developed Emotion-Focused Family Therapy, an evidence-based approach that incorporates the entire family system into the therapeutic process. This model helps families understand and address the emotional needs of loved ones experiencing mental health challenges such as eating disorders, anxiety, depression, or addiction. The treatment empowers parents to actively support their child's mental health, with clinicians and parents collaborating to identify and process emotion states that can contribute to problematic parenting patterns.

Lafrance supports research on the Emotion-Focused Family Therapy model and provides supervision and training for clinicians and organizations internationally. She has served as an associate professor in the psychology department at Laurentian University in Canada. As a keynote speaker at professional conferences, Lafrance has published extensively on emotion and health, including a clinical manual on Emotion-Focused Family Therapy published by the American Psychological Association. Her work with the American Psychological Association also includes a training video. She co-authored the book "What to Say to Kids When Nothing Seems to Work." Lafrance's work has been featured in major media outlets, including Oprah Daily and Fox News.

Lafrance is active in the research and practice of psychedelic medicine, focusing on substances such as ayahuasca, MDMA, psilocybin, and ketamine. She has served as clinical investigator and strategy lead for a MAPS-sponsored study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for eating disorders and has collaborated on the Imperial College study of psilocybin and anorexia nervosa. Lafrance has also served as a clinical trainer and supervisor for the Imperial College Centre for Psychedelic Research and is co-developer of Emotion-Focused Ketamine-assisted Psychotherapy. Her affiliations include MAPS, Imperial College, SoundMind, and Vital Psychedelics, and she is a founding member of The Love Project.

With global affiliations, Lafrance supports the ongoing development and research of caregiver-focused interventions and provides training to professionals across multiple sectors. She is recognized for her advocacy of family-oriented models of care and frequently contributes to media discussions on emotion, health, and psychedelic science. Through her research, writing, and speaking, Lafrance bridges clinical science and family life, serving audiences ranging from mental health professionals to parents seeking evidence-based guidance.