Emotionally-Focused Therapy
I remember the day I fell in love with Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). I was in grad school, learning how to be a couples counselor and I read about the research showing EFT was even effective for parents of kids with special needs. My family had been upended by my daughter’s seizures earlier that year so that statement made me sit up. I already knew how bad the statistics were for marriages like mine. Finding a therapy that could save relationships under immeasurable stress was amazing.
Who is Emotionally Focused Therapy for?
EFT is for couples who are struggling in their relationships and for those who are facing hard things and want to come through them stronger. If your relationship is on the rocks and it feels like you’re never going to be able to reconnect, EFT can help. If you feel like it’s the two of you against the world and you don’t want your love to be a casualty of the chaos, we can help you walk through the pain together.
How can EFT help with trauma?
EFT helps couples tackle trauma together. You’ll learn how to rely on each other when triggered and how to heal by using the connection with each other. I’ve used EFT when one or both partners were soldiers, abuse survivors, assault victims or walking with scars of many types of trauma. I’ve seen relationships on the verge of collapse because of trauma heal and each person come out stronger.
What is Emotionally Focused Therapy?
Emotionally Focused Therapy is one of the most effective ways for couples to find lasting change in their relationships. We will start by identifying the difficult patterns keeping you stuck. Then, we’ll practice having conversations that help you break those cycles and reconnect.
Research studies find that 70-75% of couples in EFT move from distress to recovery and approximately 90% show significant improvements.
What to Expect in an EFT Session
My Journey in Emotionally Focused Therapy
When I graduated with my master’s degree, I took the level 1 training in the Gottman method of couples counseling because it was more easily available. However, I was frustrated that my couples struggled to put the rigid rules into place when it really mattered. As soon as I could, I started pursuing training in emotionally focused therapy and the changes I saw in my clients knocked me off my feet. Finally, they were able to connect on deeper levels than before and I watched as relationships on the brink of collapse came back to life. I was sold. Since, then I have undergone advanced training and earned a certification in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
I practice emotionally focused therapy because I believe it’s the best way to help couples find each other and find peace.
I am a member of the North Texas Emotionally Focused Therapy Community (NTEFTC) steering committee, a member in good standing with the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) and officially became a certified EFT therapist on August 26th, 2022.