Emotionally Focused Therapy is an attachment based therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Sue Johnson that aims to create and strengthen the sense of emotional security within individuals and relationships. Issues within a person or relationship are understood through the emotional experience of the person(s). Clients are supported towards healthy change, and relationship conflicts are overcome by first building a deep understanding of each person’s inner world, and then using the insights gained to help him/her re-organize their understanding of themselves, those they love, and their world. Our emotions spur us to action in a powerful way. EFT uses this knowledge to elicit meaningful and lasting change. 

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Emotional vulnerability is the powerful ingredient at the heart of EFT. This form of therapy was developed for use within couples therapy, but was also proven effective for individual and family therapy as well. At Vision Counseling & Consulting, we use EFT primarily for couples therapy and implement it in combination with the Gottman method. However, we also incorporate it within individual and family sessions for clients that are most likely to benefit from it, and dependent on the specialized training of the particular therapist. EFT helps clients identify the more vulnerable emotions that may underly and accompany the more apparent emotions they may be expressing in an unhelpful way. For example, the sadness, fear, and loneliness that may underly anger expressed as aggression. Within the context of couples therapy, EFT can help each partner identify and communicate his/her feelings and needs in a way that is most likely to elicit a positive response from their significant other.