Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a short-term approach to counseling most often used for couples, but it also works with families and individuals. EFT emphasizes developing a stronger bond between two or more people. It examines interactions and how each individual contributes to undesirable behaviors that negatively affect their emotional bond.
EFT’s goal is to reduce distress and negative patterns in the relationship so people can grow closer and rebuild trust, love, and intimacy.
There are three distinct stages in Emotionally Focused Therapy:
De-Escalation – The therapist has people slow down their conversations and interactions to examine patterns in this stage. Is one person not expressing their emotions? Is one person avoidant? Is one person quick to anger? Your EFT therapist will hone in on these specific exchanges to help you understand what interaction and communication patterns lead to hurt feelings and disconnection.
Changing Interaction Patterns – This stage involves encouraging each person to communicate their feelings and needs. Your therapist will help you express empathy, even during tense interactions.
Consolidation – In this stage, you practice the skills you learned during counseling. This stage aims to integrate more desirable communication patterns in EFT sessions and real life.
Anyone interested in improving their interactions with loved ones could benefit from EFT.
Therapists Who Specialize in Using Emotionally Focused Therapy
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I work with adults who may be struggling to find nourishment on multiple levels: emotionally, psychologically, physically, and relationship-wise. I attend to the individual in front of me, knowing that your unique health and family history, stresses, environment, level of support, social inequities, and culture all influence your relationship with self and your feeling of nourishment. I meet yo...
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*I am strictly virtual at this time* I will utilize experiential & strengths-based approaches to empower you to explore your emotional needs and create change. In my work with families, depression, anxiety, marriages, and eating disorders, I continue to find a universal need: we all want to feel heard & understood. I believe change is possible when we understand and connect with our emotions an...
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I have extensive training and clinical experience with anxiety, depression and multiple levels of trauma. I also specialize in grief counseling, behavioral services and emotional regulation support. I have clinical experience working with children and adults who struggle with effectively managing their day-to-day tasks and regulating their emotions related to current life stressors, past trauma...
Strong and positive relationships are crucial to living a rich and fulfilling life. I work with couples, families, and individual family-members who desire improved relationships including young men in middle and high school. Our relationships with others are always-changing and, often, complicated. Clarifying what we really desire and developing tools to achieve this together and separately ca...
Healing happens within relationship. That has been my personal experience and my primary focus in the counseling relationship. I strongly believe that we are all doing the best that we can at any given moment. However we are managing to cope, having a trusting and safe place to be is essential. My first task in any counseling relationship is to establish and build upon that safe place. As the...
I look forward to working with you to identify the issues you have in your or your child’s life, and to work collaboratively to gain understanding of tools to overcome them. My passion is to work with children and their families to improve the current circumstance you may face. Does your child struggle with regulating their emotions? Do you feel like yelling is the only way to effectively...
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Addiction has the ability to pause and/or stop you from where you want to be. Dealing with addiction as an individual, parents to a loved one, or as a couple can cause unique and challenging issues as drugs continue to be a part of your household. For individuals I am happy to work with you in a variety of ways--from harm reduction to focusing on abstinence. For families and couples, learning h...
