EFT Explained – Understanding Emotion Focused Therapy
Have you ever felt like your emotions were driving the car while you sat helplessly in the passenger seat? That's where Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) comes in. The emotion focused therapy definition is straightforward yet profound: it's an evidence-based approach that places emotions at the heart of human experience and psychological healing.
At Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy, our team of experienced therapists uses emotion focused therapy as one of several effective therapeutic approaches to help individuals, couples, and families in Murrysville, PA and surrounding areas transform unhelpful emotions into pathways for growth and healing.
What is Emotion Focused Therapy?
Emotion focused therapy is a humanistic, evidence-based approach that uses our natural emotional systems to create meaningful change and foster secure attachment. This compassionate, structured therapy typically spans 8-20 sessions, helping people identify, experience, express, and ultimately transform their emotions.
"There can be no knowledge without emotion. We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours." - Arnold Bennett
This quote beautifully captures why EFT works—true change happens not just when we understand something intellectually, but when we feel it emotionally through an active process.
Developed in the 1980s by Drs. Leslie Greenberg and Sue Johnson, emotionally focused therapy blends attachment theory with humanistic and systemic approaches. What makes it special is its view of emotions not as problems to be managed, but as valuable signals guiding us toward what matters most.
Unlike therapies focused primarily on changing thoughts or behaviors, emotion focused therapy recognizes emotional responses as organizing forces that shape our actions and decisions. Through this approach, clients access their core emotional experiences and transform negative patterns into adaptive emotions that serve them better.
The results speak for themselves—emotionally focused couples therapy boasts a remarkable 70-75% success rate in helping distressed couples move from marital distress to recovery. Its effectiveness extends to individual therapy and family therapy for those seeking to build secure attachment and fulfilling relationships.
Why Choose This Guide?
If you're curious about how emotions shape your intimate relationships and human functioning or wondering if therapy might help you or someone you care about, this comprehensive guide offers a warm, accessible introduction to emotion focused therapy that goes beyond surface-level information. Here, you'll find:
A clear explanation of the emotion focused therapy definition and how it works in practice
Evidence-backed information about how EFT addresses different mental health problems
Practical glimpses into the emotional experiences you might have during EFT work
Thoughtful guidance to help you determine if EFT might align with your unique needs
At Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy, we've seen how increasing awareness helps clients become empowered participants in their healing process. Whether you're navigating relationship challenges, processing emotional challenges, managing anxiety, or working through depression, understanding the therapeutic approaches available to you matters deeply.
Historical Development & Core Principles
The story of emotion focused therapy began in the 1980s when two pioneering therapists, Dr. Leslie Greenberg and Dr. Sue Johnson, collaborated to develop an approach that would honor the power of emotions in human functioning and healing. Their work built upon several influential traditions in clinical psychology:
Attachment theory provided crucial insights about how our earliest relationships shape our emotional bonds and attachment needs throughout life
Person centered psychology, especially Carl Rogers' approach, contributed the emphasis on genuine empathy
Gestalt therapy offered powerful techniques for helping clients experience emotions physically in the present moment
Systems theory brought understanding of how interaction patterns form and persist
While Greenberg and Johnson began their work together, they eventually developed two complementary branches of EFT:
Greenberg's approach (often called Emotion-Focused Therapy) primarily addresses individual therapy needs and individual growth
Johnson's approach (commonly known as Emotionally Focused Therapy) specializes in couples therapy and restructuring interactions between family members and significant others
Understanding Emotion Schemes and Types of Emotions
Emotions aren't just simple feelings – they're complex and layered. The core concept of emotion focused therapy recognizes several distinct types of emotional responses that shape our experiences:
Primary adaptive emotions act as your emotional compass – they're natural, direct emotional responses that tell you something important about your situation
Primary maladaptive emotions are learned from painful past experiences – emotional patterns that once helped you cope but now become unhelpful emotions
Secondary reactive emotions often cover up primary emotions – like showing anger instead of vulnerability
Instrumental emotions are used strategically to influence others
Understanding these emotion schemes isn't just academic – each type requires different change strategies to help you heal. EFT practitioners are skilled at identifying emotions and helping clients understand one's emotions at a deeper level.
The Role of Emotions in Creating Change: Six Principles
"You have to feel it to heal it" might sound simple, but it captures a profound truth about emotional healing. Emotion focused therapy places emotions at both the target and the agent of change through six principles that guide the change process:
Awareness: Simply noticing what you're feeling opens the door to increasing awareness
Expression: When you express feelings in a safe therapeutic space, you begin to process them
Regulation: Learning to regulate emotions prevents overwhelm and improves self-regulation
Reflection: Making meaning of your emotional experiences creates better understanding
Transformation: Changing emotions by accessing more helpful emotions
Corrective emotional experiences: Reshaping old patterns through new emotional experiences
How Emotion Focused Therapy Differs from Other Approaches
Emotion focused therapy offers a distinct approach compared to other therapeutic models:
Aspect Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Primary Focus Emotions as organizing principles Thoughts and behaviors View of Change Emotional experiencing leads to cognitive shifts Changing thoughts leads to emotional shifts Therapeutic Stance Empathic, validating, reflective approach Collaborative, directive, structured Session Structure Follows emotional process markers More predetermined agenda Duration Typically 8-20 sessions Often 12-16 sessions Techniques Chair work, focusing, experiential approach Thought records, behavioral experiments
While CBT helps you identify and change problematic thinking patterns to shift feelings, EFT focuses on emotions as the primary driver of change. This doesn't mean thoughts don't matter – they absolutely do! But the emotion focused therapy definition recognizes that our deepest changes often begin with emotional shifts that then influence our thinking and actions.
Many EFT therapists at Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy draw from multiple approaches, integrating the best of emotionally focused therapy with other evidence-based methods to create a personalized healing experience that promotes emotional intelligence and better understanding.
How Emotion Focused Therapy Works in Practice: Three Stages
When you step into an emotion focused therapy session, you're entering a safe haven where emotions aren't just discussed—they're experienced physically, explored, and transformed through a structured yet flexible approach.
The Three Stages of EFT Treatment
Stage 1: De-escalation
This first stage focuses on creating a safe emotional container while EFT helps you identify negative patterns causing distress. For couples, this might mean spotting their pursue-withdraw dance. For individuals, it's often about connecting present emotional responses to deeper emotion schemes.
Stage 2: Restructuring
Here's where the transformative work happens as EFT explores:
Accessing vulnerable primary emotions that might have been buried
Expressing these emotions in ways that strengthen emotional connection
Creating fresh emotional experiences that challenge unhelpful emotions
Stage 3: Integration
The final stage is about making changes stick by:
Consolidating your new emotional experiences
Practicing different ways of relating to yourself and others
Creating meaningful narratives about your journey
Developing practical strategies for maintaining your progress through lifelong learning
Key Techniques That Bring Emotions Alive
What makes emotion focused therapy different from simply talking about feelings? It's the experiential approach and powerful techniques that bring emotions into the room:
Empathic exploration forms the foundation through deep listening that creates emotional connection
Evocative responding helps increase emotional awareness with questions like "What happens in your chest when those feelings come up?"
Chair work often creates breakthroughs by making internal conflicts tangible
Focusing techniques help you experience emotions physically and tune into your body's wisdom
Enactments allow for new interaction patterns between partners or family members
EFT in Different Modalities
The beauty of emotion focused therapy is how adaptable it is to different contexts:
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)
With its impressive success rate in helping distressed couples recover, emotionally focused couples therapy has gained recognition in publications. EFT aims to help partners identify negative patterns, access vulnerable feelings beneath surface reactions, and create secure attachment that fosters adult love in intimate relationships.
Emotion Focused Individual Therapy
Whether you're struggling with anxiety, depression, or trauma, EFT addresses these concerns by helping you process difficult emotional experiences, transform unhelpful emotions, and develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself that promotes individual growth.
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy
For families facing challenges, EFT focuses on breaking negative patterns and fostering secure attachment between family members. Parents learn to respond more effectively to their children's emotional needs, while children develop healthier ways of expressing feelings.
At Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy, our group practice includes EFT therapists trained in all three modalities, allowing us to tailor our therapeutic approach to your specific situation.
Evidence Base & Effectiveness
Emotion focused therapy stands among the most well-researched approaches in clinical psychology today:
For couples therapy, 70-75% move from relationship distress to recovery through emotionally focused couples therapy
For depression, EFT addresses the underlying emotional patterns with a 77% non-relapse rate
Trauma survivors benefit significantly from how EFT helps process difficult emotional experiences
People struggling with anxiety find relief through how EFT addresses underlying emotional responses
Brain imaging studies show that EFT helps regulate emotions by affecting the limbic system—our emotional brain center. The change process seems to work through memory reconsolidation, essentially allowing the brain to update and revise emotional learning from the past.
When EFT May Not Be the Best Fit
While we've seen remarkable results with emotion focused therapy, we also recognize it isn't always the perfect first choice for everyone:
Certain conditions may benefit from different approaches initially—panic disorder or impulse control issues often need more structured interventions before diving into deep emotional work
Active substance use can interfere with the emotional awareness that EFT requires
Some personality disorders may present challenges to the authentic emotional connection that forms the core of EFT work
EFT works best when clients are willing to explore emotions, engage collaboratively with their therapist through a reflective approach, and commit to the process of identifying emotions and changing emotions.
Sometimes, EFT works best when combined with complementary approaches. At Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy, we often integrate emotion focused therapy with other modalities like EMDR, somatics, Internal Family Systems, Safe & Sound Protocol, and Cognitive Processing Therapy to create a truly comprehensive treatment plan tailored to each client's unique needs.
What to Expect During an Emotion Focused Therapy Session
Your initial sessions will focus on building trust with your therapist while they get to know your unique emotional landscape. You'll discuss what brings you to therapy and begin increasing awareness of emotional patterns that might be causing distress.
As you progress into the middle phase of therapy, sessions become more experiential. Your EFT therapist might guide you through powerful techniques like chair work, where you can dialogue with different parts of yourself or address unfinished business with significant others in your life.
In later sessions, you'll work on consolidating your gains and creating new narratives about yourself and your relationships. Throughout this journey, emotion focused therapy principles provide a roadmap while allowing flexibility for your unique needs.
Finding Qualified EFT Therapists Near You
Finding the right EFT therapist makes all the difference in your healing journey. Effective EFT practitioners typically hold a mental health license plus specialized training in emotion focused therapy. For couples work specifically, certification through the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy indicates comprehensive training in the approach developed by Sue Johnson.
Don't hesitate to interview potential EFT therapists before committing. Ask about their specific training, how they typically work with concerns similar to yours, and what you can expect in your first few sessions. The therapeutic relationship itself is a powerful factor in EFT work. Trust your feelings about whether you feel safe and understood by a potential therapist.
Frequently Asked Questions about Emotion Focused Therapy
How long does EFT usually take?
For couples working through relationship challenges, emotionally focused therapy typically spans 8-20 sessions, with most completing the process in around 12-15 sessions. Individual therapy often requires 12-20 sessions, though this can vary significantly depending on your unique situation. Family therapy using the EFT approach generally takes 10-20 sessions.
Healing isn't about racing to the finish line. The emotion focused therapy definition emphasizes the depth and quality of emotional processing rather than adhering to a rigid timeline.
Can EFT help with individual trauma or only couples issues?
While emotionally focused therapy first gained recognition for its effectiveness with couples, it has evolved into a powerful approach for individual therapy and trauma work as well. At Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy, we've seen how EFT helps individuals process traumatic emotional experiences within a safe, contained therapeutic relationship. The approach is particularly effective because it:
Addresses the attachment injuries that often underlie emotional responses to trauma
Provides a framework for processing difficult feelings like fear, shame, and helplessness
Offers an experiential approach that helps clients access and transform emotional experiences
Creates corrective emotional experiences that can rewire trauma responses
Our EFT therapists often blend emotion focused therapy with other trauma-focused modalities like EMDR to create a comprehensive treatment plan custom to specific needs.
Is EFT covered by insurance?
Most insurance plans cover therapy with licensed mental health professionals regardless of their therapeutic approach. Since emotion focused therapy is an evidence-based treatment with substantial research supporting its effectiveness for mental health problems, many insurance companies recognize it as a legitimate option.
At Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy, we accept many major insurance plans for our standard therapy services. However, please note that EMDR Intensives are not covered by insurance. We recommend checking with your specific insurance provider about coverage details and reaching out to our office if you have questions.
Conclusion: The Power of Emotion Focused Therapy
The emotion focused therapy definition encompasses a powerful approach that places our feelings at the center of human experience and healing. When we understand our emotions as guides rather than obstacles, we open doors to deeper connections with ourselves and those we love.
As Sue Johnson, one of the founders of emotionally focused therapy, explains: "Emotional responsiveness—tuning into and supporting the other—is the key defining element of love." This insight captures what EFT helps us achieve: the ability to regulate emotions, connect with our own feelings, and build fulfilling relationships with significant others.
At Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy in Murrysville, PA, our group practice is committed to providing personalized care that integrates emotion focused therapy with other effective approaches like EMDR, somatics, Internal Family Systems, Safe & Sound Protocol, and Cognitive Processing Therapy. We understand that no two healing journeys look alike, which is why our experienced EFT practitioners work collaboratively with each client to create a therapeutic experience that addresses their unique needs.
Whether you're navigating emotional challenges in relationships, processing trauma, managing anxiety, or working through depression, our warm, experienced team of EFT therapists is here to guide you through the process of understanding, expressing, and changing emotions—creating space for the authentic, vibrant life you deserve.
If you're wondering whether emotion focused therapy might support your healing journey, we invite you to reach out to our team. Together, we can explore if this therapeutic approach aligns with your needs and take those first meaningful steps toward emotional growth and better understanding.
Contact Pittsburgh Center for Integrative Therapy today to learn more about how our specialized treatment approaches, including emotion focused therapy, can help you find your path to healing and growth.