Emotionally Focused Therapy
Origins and Development
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a structured approach to couples therapy, based on the science of adult attachment and bonding. Backed by more than 30 years of research, the approach has expanded to serve individuals and families.
Developed in the 1980s and refined over the years by creator Dr. Sue Johnson and other researchers, EFT helps uncover the dynamics of individual behavior and relationships with the lens of understanding a person’s underlying emotional needs.
The International Center for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) describes it as a humanistic approach to therapy, adding that:
“This science has expanded our understanding of individual dysfunction and health as well as the nature of love relationships and family bonds. Attachment views human beings as innately relational, social and wired for intimate bonding with others. The EFT model prioritizes emotion and emotional regulation as the key organizing agents in individual experience and key relationship interactions.”
To learn more about EFT and the more than 30 years of research behind it visit www.iceeft.com.
Attachment Theory is the foundation of EFT
“We live in the shelter of each other.” Celtic saying.
Secure attachment is essential for our mental health and general wellbeing. Attachment theory privileges human connection and the strength of attachment bonds. It provides the framework for lasting human connections.
EFT places the emotions and feelings we have at the centre of the therapeutic process. Emotions are seen as the basic foundation of who we are and enables us to find meaning in our lives and allow us to make sense of our experiences.
EFT will help you identify and understand the patterns that cause distress and pain in your relationship. Then EFT will show you how to come close and express your softer feelings and needs to your partner in a way that helps your partner respond to you. This will help you to build a secure and lasting bond within your relationship, creating closeness, trust and connection.
The Success Rate of EFT
Research has shown that:
Ninety percent (90%) of couples who complete EFT improve their relationships.
The comparable rate of marital relationship improvement for the next leading model of couple therapy is only 35%. Studies indicate the results for EFT are generally robust and long-lasting.
70-75% of couples move from distress to recovery.
EFT also works with partners who describe themselves as unemotional and ‘less expressive’.
Another significant finding is that couples who work through the EFT process resolve their issues without returning to their old unhealthy communication patterns in the future.