Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is based on two decades of research on the bonds of attachment between adults in relationship. The way that we deal with basic emotions and engage with others is influenced by our attachment style. Sue Johnson, founder of EFT, describes health as the ability to fully listen to and engage in inner experience, and to create meaning from those experiences which can then direct positive behavioral responses. This describes a secure attachment style, which allows for trust, connection, safety, and flexibility.
Secure attachment promotes a person’s ability to regulate their emotions, think clearly, and communicate effectively. An EFT therapist works to create a shift in the client’s attachment style by way of experiencing other parts of self and new emotions. This can allow for healing from traumatic attachments and create a new place of security from which to rethink and solve previously unsolvable problems.
With couples, EFT identifies the negative interactional cycle that gets in the way of their communication. Behaviors, emotions, perceptions, and unmet attachment needs are all explored. When emotional responses are expanded and re-organized, the couple is more able to regulate their emotions, think clearly, and communicate effectively. The bond that is created allows them to be more resilient when it comes to solving concrete difficulties and collaborating on solutions.