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
With so many Covid deaths, no one seems to realize or care that your loved one died. It doesn’t matter how they died: Covid, accident, illness… it’s as if they’re all out of empathy for dead loved ones. Another death? Add it to the list of crappy things to happen in 2020. You feel so alone in your grief. Your loved one is lost among the many. But it matters to you. You’re going through the same...
I strive to help individuals and couples work toward goals that are meaningful to them. This might include improving an important relationship, healing from a difficult past experience, managing feelings of depression or loss, or coping more effectively with a stressful situation. I work alongside each client to help them gain insight and clarity into their areas of concern. My aim is to empowe...
Are you feeling stuck or worn-down, but unsure how to get to a better place? It may be hard to imagine what it would feel like to experience freedom from binges/emotional eating, PTSD, emotional numbness, shame, body image, anxiety, sadness, disordered eating, or relationship issues. I see your frustration and honor it. The fact that you are reading this page right now shows that you want thing...
Limitless Counseling PLLC uses a HIPPA approved telehealth technology to provide statewide services in North Carolina. I have over 20 years of experience in mental health. I enjoy using humor to ease tension and lighten the mood, as I building rapport and helping people feel supported. When working with clients, I help them identify natural support systems, set healthy boundaries, develop copin...
Sometimes, life challenges can make us feel overwhelmed, lost, and alone, often effecting our moods, emotions, and behavior. I want you know that, you are not alone! I am here to help you live your best life. Whatever problems, disappointments, or life issues you are experiencing, there are workable solutions to them all. As your therapist, my goal is to help you return to your normal level of...
Much of our lives are series of automatic reactions and habits. In between being in these autopilot modes, we can have moments of awareness something isn’t quite right or we envision our life differently. In our work together, I will utilize our relationship to help expand your awareness and move toward acceptance and deciding on an appropriate action. My role is to provide safety, security and...
You are successful. Others often make comments about how "perfect your life is" because from the outside they see someone with a perfect marriage, great kids, and a wonderful job. But on the inside you feel anything but perfect. You are struggling to keep your head above water, you haven't felt connected to your spouse in months, and you no longer have the energy to even try to get your kids to...
I believe everyone has a story to tell. Your story matters, and it matters to me. All of our stories are unique and different. How you think about yourself affects many aspects of your life, that you may not even be aware of. I provide a safe, nonjudgmental space that is HIPAA compliant for you to for a therapeutic alliance that both of us create. It is your story and your place to be heard &...
Relationships & sex are both avenues for exploring the unconscious drives and desires that motivate us. I work with couples and individuals. I use a combination of self-inquiry and narrative therapy to help my clients connect with their sexuality and reclaim their birthright as fully developed confident beings. Tension or shame in your intimate life can impact your health, work, and other...
I work with a multitude of clients to identify and express their emotions in a healthy manner, teaching them various coping skills. I specialize in working with children, adolescents, and adults. I have worked with those suffering from anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, grief and loss, addiction and those having a hard time finding themselves. I believe in the importance of building rapport...
Taking the first step toward seeking capable and compassionate mental health help takes courage! It may be one of the most important decisions when experiencing emotional distress of crisis. Terry brings clarity and knowledge to the counseling experience. She is committed in helping clients find hope, healing and stability in a world of overwhelming complexity and unintended stressful life even...
You don't have to go through life's challenges alone. Whether you are experiencing issues in your relationship or going through a life transition that leaves you feeling stuck or hopeless, I can help you. With my help you can gain clarity of your needs and longings, build courage to share and ask for them, recognize the negative cycle that keeps you stuck and learn how to interrupt it, recogniz...
I prioritize healthy relationships- with others, with ourselves, and with the world around us. I see the need for deeper emotional and physiological understanding to identify where we can become stuck with ourselves and in our relationships. I seek to create a space for introspection and self-compassion in the therapist-client relationship so that you can explore your authentic narrative, your...
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” (Henry Stanley Haskins). Your inner strengths can be fostered and expanded by working together in a supportive environment, so you'll feel a greater sense of control over your concerns rather than a sense that your concerns control you. We will collaborate to address and manage challenges including...
I have been working as a counselor for 15 years. Before I attended graduate school and received my degree in counseling pyschology, I had worked as a newspaper reporter and then as a columnist. I also went to counseling myself to help me navigate and heal from trauma during my youth. I so enjoy working with people, listening to their stories, helping them to navigate their challenges and heal f...