What is EFT?
EFT is Emotionally Focused Therapy and extends to EFIT (Emotional Focused Individual Therapy) and EFCT (Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.) It’s our core methodology and used in individual and couples therapy.
EFT: Emotionally Focused Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy is a humanistic, evidence-based approach to psychotherapy, drawing primarily from attachment theory to facilitate the creation of secure, vibrant connection with self and others. Rooted in the science of emotions and attachment, EFT helps clients identify and transform the negative processing and interaction patterns that create distress. It’s effective in treating individuals (EFIT), couples (EFCT), and families (EFFT), addressing a wide range of issues from marital distress to individual anxiety and trauma.
For therapists, EFT offers a clear, structured map to helping clients. It focuses on the development of emotional intelligence and awareness, enabling therapists to guide clients in recognizing and expressing their emotional needs more effectively. By fostering a secure attachment bond, EFT enables clients to respond to their partners and family members in healthier, more constructive ways.
The modality’s efficacy is well-supported by empirical, peer reviewed outcome research, making it a credible and respected approach in the therapeutic community.
A Foundation in Research
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), founded by Dr. Sue Johnson, is a new way of understanding adult love relationships, drawing on attachment theory. This approach has been met with unprecedented success in helping distressed couples improve their relationship and deepen their bond. This approach has also been acknowledged by the APA (American Psychological Association) as having valid research supporting its effectiveness.
EFT starts by acknowledging that people are inherently social, and that we are biologically hardwired to create and maintain strong emotional ties with our partner and loved ones. This means acknowledging that you are attached to your partner and rely on your partner to fully thrive as well as mitigate the stress of life’s challenges.
Social Ties + Bonds of Trust
EFT sees distress in relationships as centered in the loss of secure emotional connection, and that a negative cycle or “dance” is established when that loss of connection is experienced. These cycles are often characterized by anger, criticism, leaving, or appearing indifferent, to name a few.
Once established, these cycles can crop up over the slightest issue, and over time be corrosive to the bonds of trust and security in the relationship. EFT aims to help couples stop these negative cycles by first identifying and mapping out this cycle, then helping couples identify and articulate their needs and clarify their emotional signals in a way that helps their partner to have greater understanding, compassion and responsiveness. In turn, a more secure, strong resilient bond is cultivated.