Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT-C) is a structured, short-term approach that helps partners strengthen their emotional bond. It’s based on the idea that relationship distress often comes from feeling emotionally disconnected.
In EFT, couples learn to recognize negative patterns, express their deeper needs and emotions, and build a more secure, supportive connection. It’s especially helpful for couples stuck in conflict or feeling distant from one another.
The fundamental goal of EFT-C is to help couples create secure emotional bonds by reshaping their patterns of interaction. Think of it like repairing and strengthening the emotional bridge between partners. Just as a physical bridge needs both structural integrity and regular maintenance to remain strong, relationships need secure emotional connections and healthy patterns of interaction to thrive.
Ultimately, EFT-C focused therapists aim to:
EFT-C can effectively help couples dealing with a variety of issues. Some of these might include:
EFT-C has shown particular effectiveness for couples who:
EFT-C is also effective across diverse populations, including:
The approach has been successfully adapted for various relationship contexts while maintaining its focus on emotional connection and secure attachment.
It is worth noting that even couples who don’t fit the “ideal” profile can benefit from EFT-C principles, though additional interventions might be needed alongside it for more complex situations.
EFT-C is a subtype of EFT (Emotion Focused Therapy). EFT-C applies the core principles of EFT in a format conducive to couples. That core principle is: rather than avoiding or suppressing emotions, EFT helps clients become aware of, accept, regulate, make sense of, and transform their emotional experiences.
Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT-C) was developed in the 1980s by Dr. Sue Johnson and Dr. Les Greenberg, building upon attachment theory and humanistic psychology principles. Johnson continued to refine the approach through her research on adult attachment and love relationships.
The approach emerged as a response to the limitations of purely behavioral couples therapy, recognizing that emotional bonds and attachment needs lie at the heart of relationship distress.
The evidence base for Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT-C )is particularly strong. Research studies consistently show success rates of 70–75% in helping distressed couples recover, with around 90% showing significant improvements. It is one of the few couples therapy approaches with extensive empirical validation.
Follow-up studies have demonstrated that these improvements typically last, with couples maintaining their gains years after therapy ends.
Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples works through a structured process that unfolds in three stages:
The success of EFT-C often depends on both partners’ willingness to engage in emotional exploration and change. The approach creates a safe environment where couples can discover and share their deeper emotional experiences, leading to lasting positive change in their relationship.
Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples follows a structured process of stages, so clients will follow a well-defined path throughout their work with a therapist.
In a typical session, you may experience:
EFT-C typically requires 8–20 sessions, though complex cases may need more. Sessions usually last 75–90 minutes and follow the three-stage model (discussed above) while remaining flexible to each couple’s unique needs and pace.
The approach emphasizes moving through stages based on achieved changes rather than a fixed timeline.
Alma’s directory has many therapists who are trained in Emotion-Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT-C), including:
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