Emotion Focused Therapy ( Eft ) Essay

Emotion focused therapy (EFT) uses multiple techniques to illicit emotional reconstruction. “By bringing awareness, regulation, reflection and transformation” (Seligman & Reichenberg, 2014, p. 160) to the forefront, the client, has the ability to focus on those emotions and recognize the maladaptive strategies used to alleviate these responses. Within EFT validation is key in promoting congruence, positive regard and empathy. “Validation is the processes of letting the [client] know that the therapist views their needs and reactions as understandable, valid, and normal” (Denton, Johnson, & Burleson, 2009). By allowing the client to lead the session and reflecting the client’s emotions back to her you reinforced to the client that it was safe

Gurman, A. S. (2008). Clinical handbook of couple therapy (4th ed.). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

During treatment Cognitive-Behavioral Couple Therapy (CBCT) and Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT) will use feedback sessions to help assess how the couple is doing in a positive way (Gurman, 2008). Both CBCT and IBCT both use conflict and emotional expressions as avenues for couples to express their affection and understanding for one another (Gurman, 2008). Both CBCT and IBCT also have the same value system of creating a general closeness and intimacy between partners (Gurman, 2008). Regardless of the differences, the two therapies have the general

Before starting the discussion of emotion-focused therapy, it is very important to have an understanding of what emotion is. Historically, emotions were seen as nonspecific and disruptive; however more recent analyses have emphasized the functions that emotions serve (Hebb, 1949). Although emotions address different adaptive problems, they generally facilitate decision making, prepare the individual for rapid motor responses and provide information regarding the ongoing match between organism and environment (Schwarz & Clore, 1983). In addition to this, emotion also serves as a social function for they inform us about others’ behavioral intentions, give us clues as to whether something is good or bad and control our social behavior (Greenberg & Safran, 1987). From an emotion-focused perspective, according to Greenberg (2004), emotion disorder is seen as a result of more failures in the dyadic regulation of affect, avoidance of affect, traumatic

This paper evaluates the Structural Family Therapy model and its impact on the Emotionally Focused Therapy by Sue Johnson. This paper will discuss the concepts of therapy utilized within the Structural Family Therapy model and how Sue Johnson utilized many of its methods when constructing Emotionally Focused Therapy model. The history of family therapy will be evaluated and the goals of family therapy. Research has proven that due to these clinical practices, families and couples are allowed to evolved issues in which they face into healthy relationships by evaluating patterns in behaviors and past events in their lives. Therapy focuses on the correction of the dysfunctional family as a cohesive unit and does not place focus on the individual. Therefore we find the psychotherapy as a family unit deems to be more effective than previous practices of an isolated session with only the patient and therapist.

EMDR consist of 12-15 sessions and information is gotten about the client history, establish rapport, and explain the treatment. The therapist then asks the client questions about visual images of the trauma, the client’s emotional and physiologic reactions to the trauma, unhelpful self-representations, and helpful self-representations (Briere & Scott, 2013). More so, the purpose of EMDR is to reduce the effect of negative emotions or disturbing memories. EMDR engages the client in a two-sided stimulation (i.e. hand taps, eye stimulation by following the movement of an object or audible voices (Briere & Scott, 2013; Eka,

EFT is an attachment based research theory, that suggest that couples have strong need to stay connected (bond) to each other. As such, bonding is very important in marital relationships and if the bond is disappearing, then stressful and negative cycle pattern begins to emerge. Thus, the goal of EFT is to support couples walk through a process of healing (overcoming the negative patterns, rebuilding the connection again, and fortify the bond) (Goldenberg, Stanton, & Goldenberg, 2017). From the assessment that has carried out by the therapist it is clear that Tam and Lisa do not have what it takes to manage or settle conflicts without it escalating into something else. As such, the bonding between them is disappearing and it’s becoming stressful and disturbing to them and their children. Because Jimmy and Emma even though do not see their parent fight or disagree in the open but they can sense the disconnection between their parent and feel the tension whenever both of them where at home. More so, because of the negative pattern that has emerge as a result of lack of secure attachment, there is no more interactions between the couple and each others needs are not met. From the case conceptualization, and to decide what treatment plan should target or focus on the therapist will use the step-by-step treatment manual provided by Johnson and Greenberg (1995) as cited in (Goldenberg et al., 2017) for the therapy process:

Process Experiential Emotion-Focused Therapy (PEEFT) is an approach used to improve the regulation, expression, acceptance, integration and transformation of emotional experiences. Emotions govern the way we interact with the world around us and serve as the primary driver of decision making, allowing us to identify potential risk and understanding personal needs and desires. The process of Emotion Focused therapy (EFT) is essentially to improve overall emotional intelligence by working with the clients current emotional experiences, understanding maladaptive emotional scheme that may be preventing the clients personal growth and impeding on their everyday life and experiencing. The EFT therapist guides the client through a process of awareness and expression of emotions that can then be understood, reflected upon, integrated and transformed to add meaning to their personal experiences.

This method is useful in trauma cases, which result to depression, anger and anxiety. It includes strategies and methods used to help individuals deal with past traumatic events in order to minimize anger and depression. Making an individual remember their past traumatic events enables them deal with their fears (Rizvi, Vogt, & Resick, 2009). The treatment period is dependent on the needs of a client and the healing progress. Edna. B. Foa is the scholar who developed the therapy program she based her study on the treatment of anxiety. Practitioners all over the United States have practiced her strategy on treating trauma caused due to rape, child abuse, motor

In their day to day world, the impacts can be devastating as they are unable to regulate their emotions and cannot face everyday situations. There are opportunities to fail in deals with all interactions from a child not coping in the classroom when told to explain his work to not being able to cope with waiting in line at the supermarket, to an angry outburst over a work-related issue not going your way. The impact of emotional functioning on those who have experienced trauma is a day to day struggle to function within society (Doyle, 2012).

Fow, N.R. (1998). Partner-focused reversal in couples therapy. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training. 35(2), 231-237.

Trauma, by definition is unbearable an intolerable. Trauma leaves traces on our minds and emotions, on our capacity for joy and intimacy, and even on our biology and immune systems (Kolk, 2014). While traumatic events are experienced as disastrous and overwhelming, there are opportunities for transformation, healing, and clarity of mind. The paper will focus on the treatment of Individuals suffering with mental illness due to post trauma using trauma-focused cognitive behavioral

Emotionally focused therapy is designed to be short-term in structure. Developed principally by Dr. Susan Johnson, the main target of this type of therapy is couples and is focused on expressing emotions. The primary goal of emotionally focused therapy is to create a safe and long-lasting bond between romantic partners and family members while expanding and restructuring significant emotional responses. Partakers in emotionally focused therapy are emboldened to express their thoughts and emotions in a safe environment without fear of judgment. In this paper, we will discuss a therapy session between Sue Johnson and a couple, Leslie and Scott.

When working with clients in today’s society it’s extremely important to take into consideration the specific needs of each individual. Serious contemplation is given to the approaches and methods regarding the client’s need and presenting matters. Trauma appears in many forms in society, even from the 1960’s due to the impact on returning soldiers from war. Since this, trauma has been categorised and widely researched leading to numerous theories. Psychotherapies were one of the first approaches to be founded in the 1970’s, which were the foundations to counselling

Proponents of EVT argue that the manualized treatment is an attempt to focus psychological training and find the most efficient and effective treatments (Halford, 1997). Research indicates that manualized treatments should achieve results that are more consistent with fewer negative effects than non structured interventions (Drozd & Goldfried, 1996). However, dependence on manualized treatments may lead to the idea everyone diagnosed with the same disorder can be treated in the same way, regardless of individual characteristics or presentation of the disorder (Drozd & Goldfried, 1996). Hence, proponents of empirically validated treatments argue against