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
Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, irritability, sadness of the unknown? Watching everyone moving on with their lives and being successful? Are you battling with emotions, thoughts and/or behaviors that perhaps are self deprecating or self-sabotaging that creates cycle of shame/guilt or judgement? Sometimes we need sounding board to hear ourselves to sort out facts and myths. I will assist you by...
I am a licensed clinical social worker with 17 years of experience in the social work profession. I have experience working with children in school settings and with children and families in the foster care system. I also have experience providing psychotherapy to adults. My approach is supportive, collaborative and reflective. I utilize evidenced based therapeutic approaches and provide direct...
Mission Statement We believe that healing takes place in community, that each person needs support and freedom to choose their own path, and that recovery comes with practice. Healing from the suffering caused by addiction, mental health, trauma, eating disorders, obsessive sexual behavior, and other co-occurring conditions is not simply about managing life; it is about transforming it. At the...
Feeling connected to ourselves and others, and developing a healthy relationship to our own emotions, has a strong effect on our happiness and well-being. With a background in Emotionally Focused therapy and AEDP, I specialize in working with complicated, painful or confusing emotions that keep couples and individuals feeling stuck, disconnected and alone. My specialities include: couples drift...
Does trauma have you stuck? Do you wish you could just move on? Maybe something feels off? You feel stuck in old patterns? Still struggling with past hurt? Feeling burnt-out? Like you are sabotaging your relationships, goals, and dreams? Are issues from past abuse causing turmoil in your current relationships? Have issues with sex been causing trouble in your relationships or in how you feel ab...
The process of healing in therapy is a journey - one that opens doors to see ourselves differently and accept ourselves more fully. It allows for there to be space to sit with our innermost thoughts and feelings as we bear witness to the courageous process towards renewal and growth. Through a safe, genuine, and empathetic therapeutic experience, my goal as a psychotherapist is to provide an...
I believe that therapy is a way for individuals to express their feelings in a safe place where they can feel heard without judgement and with compassion. It is my goal to meet my clients where they are at and come alongside them to help them through whatever difficult they are facing in their life. I use an attachment-based approach and utilize various therapeutic techniques from a variety of...
Most people are striving to live a congruent life where their perception of self matches their lived experience. Life can throw us off this path whether it's through an unexpected event, mood disorder or life transition. I have experience working with adults with anxiety, depression, ADHD, relationship issues, identity development, life transitions, and stress management. I particularly enjoy...
With over four decades of experience as a Licensed Psychologist, Dr. Lentchner brings a broad and varied experience to the therapeutic relationship. Although he has studied and utilized many theoretical outlooks and techniques, he believes strongly in shaping his methodology around the needs of his clients rather than attempting to mold the clients into his theoretical formulations. Throughout ...
Life can be hard. Even when we think we have it all together, we experience hurdles we had not anticipated. Sometimes we can overcome these hurdles ourselves, but sometimes they affect our job, our relationships or our general ability to feel happy and content with our lives. As a clinical therapist and an art therapist I am trained to be able to help you see your struggles from a bird's-eye vi...
I am a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist specializing in addiction treatment. Therapy provides a safe place to discuss issues and collaborate on ways to work towards your goals. I work with individuals, couples, and families. I am dually licensed as an MFT and Substance Use Disorder Certified Counselor Feel free to contact me by email or phone with any questions you may have. Offering...
People deserve to be understood holistically—what brings you to counseling is not your whole story, nor does it completely determine your future. Deciding to seek counseling can be an emotional experience in itself, and you will therefore be welcomed into the process at your own pace in a compassionate, non-judgmental environment. Counseling is a collaborative experience; your vulnerability and...
Please come exactly as you are. Whether you are new to therapy or have spent years working through various challenges, I invite you to come exactly as you are in this moment. We cannot move towards healing and change until we are permitted to be seen and heard as we are right now. I am committed to creating a warm, inviting, and non-judgmental space where you may feel safe to explore who you ar...
I am dedicated to compassionately alleviating suffering so that you can recover your most grounded, confident, and healthy self. Feeling greater ease in life, career, and relationships is attainable. Chronic stress, difficult relationships, loss, systemic oppression, trauma, and abuse can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression. Therapy heals by reducing self-doubt, enhancing insight, and...
Endings can be a joyful, painful, confusing mix of experiences. They can make way for new beginnings while also leaving us feeling lost. Change is part of life, as certain as death and just as unpredictable. It can be scary to experience change, even if it's change you're choosing. Maybe you're exploring your gender identity or sexuality, maybe you're figuring out your racial identity and...
