What is EFT?
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a type of therapy that helps people understand their emotions and how they relate to their relationships. It was created in the 1980s by Dr. Sue Johnson and is based on attachment theory, which explains how our experiences with attachment as children can impact our relationships as adults. Essentially, EFT helps people identify and work through emotional barriers that might be preventing them from building stronger, more meaningful relationships with others.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy is based on a few core principles that guide the therapy process. These principles are:
Emotions are the language of attachment: In EFT, emotions are seen as the primary force driving behavior, are seen as adaptive and necessary for intimate relationships.
The therapist is an ally: The EFT therapist serves as a supportive ally to the couple, helping them to recognize their negative patterns and work together to create positive change by creating a safe and non-judgmental space for couples to explore their experiences. The therapist helps the couple to develop new skills and strategies for maintaining their relationship in the long term.
Focus on the present: EFT focuses on the present moment, rather than delving too deeply into past traumas or issues. This allows couples to focus on what they can do now to improve their relationship.
Change happens through new experiences: EFT encourages couples to engage in new experiences together that promote positive emotions and strengthen their emotional bond. These experiences can be as simple as sharing a meaningful conversation or engaging in a fun activity together.
What can I expect in my EFT couples therapy session?
During an EFT couples therapy session, you can expect to work collaboratively with me as your therapist in exploring issues in your relationship and developing new ways of relating to each other. Here are some things you might expect during one of our EFT couples therapy session:
Assessment of your relationship’s communication patterns and identification of negative patterns (e.g. blame, criticism, defensiveness) so that I, as your therapist, can professionally identify the issues you are facing and develop a treatment plan that works for you.
Communication exercises will be given for you and your partner to practice during the session and at home. These exercises are designed to help you communicate more effectively and build a stronger emotional bond. These may involve role-playing different scenarios to help you practice new ways of communicating and responding to each other.
Professional feedback on your current progress will be provided by me throughout our EFT session, helping you and your partner to develop new skills and strategies for improving your relationship in real-time.
Emotionally Focused Therapy is structured in three stages: conflict de-escalation, restructuring of a fractured or fracturing relationship, and consolidation and integration of the gains that we have made during the previous stages.
How successful is EFT in practice?
For the past 30 years, research has shown that Emotionally Focused Therapy has a 90% success rate when it comes to improving couples' overall relationship satisfaction, emotional connection, and communication practices. EFT usually takes around eight to 20 sessions, and my clients usually start showing improvements in their communication styles around the tenth session by following my customized relationship treatment plans.
You can book your EFT sessions now by using the link below so you can start learning new ways of effectively communicating with and responding to your partner, and we will work on a customized plan to begin taking collaborative steps to guarantee that you and your partner will have a happy, functional, and long-lasting relationship.