Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy – EFCT - is a form of psychotherapy developed by Dr. Sue Johnson designed to help people understand their emotional attachment patterns and transform their responses to experience better relationship dynamics.
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Discover A New Ability For Engaging in Relationships with EFCT
Speak to UsThe inspiration for Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy came to Dr. Sue Johnson through her understanding of Attachment Theory. Originally, Attachment Theory, as presented by John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, focused on the attachment patterns - the level and expression of secure or insecure bonds to caregivers – observed in children during moments of distress. Dr. Johnson became curious about how attachment patterns learned in childhood manifested among adults and the applicability of Attachment Theory to adult relationship dynamics.
With the help of her colleague Dr. Leslie Greenberg, Dr. Johnson conducted research and clinical studies to explore the effectiveness of an Emotionally Focused approach in helping couples resolve conflicts, increase their experience of emotional intimacy, and develop more satisfying long-term relationship dynamics. As Dr. Johnson describes, her work is “primarily about creating a secure sense of connection with self and with others”.
Meet Our Specialist
Samar Abdo Said Elhais
Somatic Therapist, Social WorkerSamar is our Couple’s Therapist certified in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) - also referred to as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and not to be confused with Emotional Freedom Technique, the other EFT. Samar uses EFCT to help improves couples’ capacities for authentic self-expression, emotional regulation and intimacy. She also uses the modality for individual therapy as well and integrates it into individual sessions.
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Message Samar AbdoFrequently Asked Questions
At BMY there are two options for the length of an Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Session: The Couples Standard Session (60 minutes) and the Couples Extended Session (90 minutes). The session type that is selected is done in collaboration between the couple and the therapist to determine what is the best fit.
An important part of couples therapy is identifying the dynamic that a couple goes through in order to recognize the patterns that keep them stuck and to develop the treatment plan to help them create the needed shift to succeed in their goal for a more fulfilling relationship. This information gathering and assessment phase happens over four sessions. This includes a first appointment together as a couple, followed by an appointment with each member of the couple, and then an appointment together again as a couple where the therapist can share her observations, help the couple come into alignment about their goal for therapy, and then describe the process for therapy moving forward.
The number of sessions needed will vary from couple to couple. EFCT is intended to be a brief therapy of 8 – 20 sessions, depending on each couple’s existing resources and struggles.
EFCT is an evidence-based modality that has shown a lot of success in helping a couple create a more meaningful and healthy relationship together. However, successful couples therapy does not always mean that a couple stays together. Sometimes successful couples therapy means that the couple arrives to more clarity about their future and they may determine that it is best for them to end the relationship. An experienced therapist can help a couple navigate these matters in a healthy way. All of these are important concerns that can be discussed with the therapist during the first phase of therapy in order to manage expectations and to feel empowered through your process.
Because Emotional Focused Couples Therapy is guided by the Attachment Model, it can address emotional distress even on an individual level, not just within a couple. It can include working on the emotional underpinnings of ‘attachment patterns’ as they appear for a client in the realm of a variety of relationships, be they friendships, family connections and work settings. Therefore, Emotionally Focused Therapy sessions can be used both for couples therapy and for individual therapy.
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