Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
in Houston, TX and Online
What Does Emotionally Focused Therapy Treat?
Today, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is used to treat most conditions that result in unpleasant emotions and disruptive behaviors. There is a strong basis of research to support its effectiveness in individuals. And Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy is considered by many therapists to be the gold standard for marriage counseling. EFT can help with: In addition, research supports the “depth of emotional processing” that occurs when working with an emotionally focused therapist correlates strongly with a lasting therapeutic outcome.
What Is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)?
EFT is an approach to couples therapy and individual therapy designed to help individuals and couples identify the core emotion at the root of distress or conflict.
Les Greenberg and Sue Johnson developed Emotionally Focused Therapy, working with both couples and individuals.
Sue Johnson expanded the model to Emotionally Focused Couples Counseling.
Emotion focused therapy for couples helps partners create a secure attachment bond with one another. Secure bonding can shift a negative pattern of communication and reaction into one of secure attachment and emotion regulation.
Greenberg expanded EFT for individuals into a highly effective model for counseling with a variety of concerns. EFIT helps to resolve the root cause of mental, emotional and interpersonal struggles.
Emotionally focused family therapy expanded EFT to repair family bonds. EFT for families focuses on changing interactional patterns to increase connection.
How Does EFT Work?
Our Reptilian Brain
When humans feel threatened or experience strong emotions, we often revert to the reptilian response in our brain. This results in us becoming distressed and reactive.
This reaction often leads to conflict with others, as well as the feeling of being unsettled and out of control.
In EFT, all emotions contain valuable information.
While some therapeutic approaches attempt to suppress certain unpleasant sensations, EFT seeks to resolve unpleasant emotions by understanding and working with them. Regulating the emotional experience begins soothing the threatened brain. This breaks the negative cycle of reactivity and disconnection.
So, the process of change in EFT comes from transforming maladaptive emotions and negative interactions into adaptive emotions and expression of attachment needs.
Once emotions are processed effectively, we can move into more logical, less reactive modes of thinking and being.
What Should I Expect in an EFT Session?
Therapy using EFT begins with a typical intake during which the individual or couple will discuss presenting symptoms, conflicts, and history.
The EFT therapist will then use sessions to facilitate the feeling of emotions—including the unpleasant ones—directing clients to verbalize the physical and emotional reactions they experience.
Using this approach, clients will be encouraged to identify their patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. And as strong emotional reactions and intense feelings are processed, clients gain clarity about the patterns that create distress and conflict.
Unpleasant emotions stemming from trauma experiences may be challenging to work with at the outset of therapy. For these situations our clinicians may use Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) before introducing EFT into sessions. EMDR gently targets trauma responses stored in the brain to help our clients feel calmer and in control of their reactions.
Clients Can Expect To Feel Better
With this combination of benefits from EFT, clients ultimately reduce reactivity and are able to regulate their emotions and behaviors. For this reason, Emotionally Focused Therapy is especially beneficial to couples because it promotes a feeling of safety among partners as they learn how to navigate conflict together.
Not only does EFT teach clients to regulate their emotions, but it also teaches them to use the information provided by emotional responses to ultimately transform emotions and behaviors and make appropriate decisions.
Using EFT, both our couples, families and individual clients become less impulsive and fear-driven. This allows them to make better choices and foster more harmony in their lives and relationships.
Instead of feeling overwhelmed or driven by emotions, clients can expect to feel calm, aware, and break from perpetual struggles and patterns using emotionally focused therapy.
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) FAQ's
We began incorporating EFT into our practice at Eddins Counseling after observing our clients get stuck inside of emotional patterns that were hijacking their brains, creating discomfort, distress, and interpersonal conflict in their daily lives.
We’re lucky to have therapists on our team who were trained by some of the original developers of Emotionally Focused Therapy. And though many therapists use EFT primarily for couples counseling, our clinicians can tailor therapy for individuals experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other common disorders if appropriate.
How An Emotionally Focused Approach Informs Other Therapeutic Methods
EFT can be beneficial alongside other therapeutic approaches used for both individuals and couples.
- Emotionally Focused Therapy adds to cognitive therapies and behavioral methods—such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT can help clients see the useful and constructive aspects of certain emotions.
- EFT informs a psychoanalytical approach because it focuses on the here and now of the emotion as opposed to the why underneath it.
- EFT emphasizes the self and importance of past relationships. Thus enhancing interpersonal psychoanalytic approaches.
- And finally, EFT is specifically engineered to work alongside attachment-focused therapy. Understanding the influence of early relationships on clients’ connection to themselves and others makes the core emotion more easily identified.
You Have The Power To Understand And Manage Your Emotions
If you struggle with indecision, getting hooked by strong negative reactions, or feeling stuck in painful thoughts and cycles of conflict with your partner, Emotionally Focused Therapy at Eddins Counseling can offer you a transformational experience.
To learn more about how we can help or to schedule an appointment with one of our EFT therapists, please contact us below.
Get Help From a Specialist in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Diana Parlante
Diana specializes in assisting couples through lack of connection, betrayal, miscommunication, and other relationship struggles. She also works…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTHolly Lark
Holly specializes in working with adolescents, young adults, and women. She is passionate about helping clients work through life transitions, b…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTJennifer Castro
With over 10 years of experience in the mental health field, Jennifer is passionate about helping you work through grief, anxiety, OCD, disorder…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTJennifer Oates
Jennifer hopes to help you reach your academic, professional, and/or personal pursuits. She has experience working with women, couples, military…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTJoan Mullinax
Joan specializes in therapy services and career counseling and helps clients with challenges incl. anxiety, depression, self-esteem, relationshi…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTLizz Calderon-Mullens
I work with children, adolescents, families, and young adults to help with anxiety, depression, spiritual, and relational concerns.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTMarcie Dinkin
Marcie works with parents, young adults, and teens, together or individually, to assess what the major issues and roadblocks are, address any hu…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTMargaret Mayer
Margaret works with clients navigating grief, life transitions, anxiety, and LGBTQ/identity-related issues and LGBTQ couples. Leading with empat…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTRebecca Perez
I’m passionate about helping people overcome life’s challenges. Whether you are struggling with a personal crisis brought on by trauma, relatio…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTRon DonLevy
Your feelings matter and you deserve to be heard. Ron will join you on your journey of personal growth, healing, and change.
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTSamantha Birnbaum
Sam specializes in working with moms, parents, teens and adults struggling with parenting/postpartum, eating disorders, body image, and addictio…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTSuzanne Kamfar
Suzanne (Susan) is bilingual (English & Farsi). Her focus is on helping you navigate through life with balance, harmony, and authenticity. She w…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTTiara Runyon
Tiara offers a collaborative approach, fit to suit your individual needs. Her experience includes working with those facing life transitions and…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTVanessa Guidry
Vanessa works with children, teens, young adults and families. She helps with behavioral concerns, emotional stress such as anxiety, anger and d…
BOOK AN APPOINTMENTWhat Clients Are Saying
Great Experience
I am having a great experience with my counselor. She is very open and makes me feel comfortable. I love how she is able to address all needs in session and use different techniques. She is very goal oriented within the sessions, which I appreciate a lot.