Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy

The therapeutic approach to marriage therapy which I have adopted and been trained in is empirically validated. This means that extensive research has been performed to demonstrate its effectiveness. In this case, EFCT research has demonstrated that 90% of couples experience a significant improvement in their marriage after receiving EFCT.

EFCT Marriage Counseling

Take the image of a couple against a wall, facing a fire-breathing dragon. The dragon could be a crisis, or just daily life. When people feel safe with one another, they can face the dragon together. If I know my spouse will be there to understand, then I'm already less afraid of whatever life has in store, of whatever the dragon will do. We need to be able to count on each other, or we are doubly threatened: first, by the dragon out there, and second, by missing safety and responsiveness in our relationship.

In our society, we have tended to value independence and to frown on dependency. But people want someone they can count on--someone dependable. This is effective dependency--you can count on each other. For some couples, this feels like a risky proposition, and it seems safer to stick with independence--nobody lets me down if I stand on my own. So you have two individuals living together, but in isolation from each other, not truly connected.

The classic cycle that marriage partners get into is an attack-withdraw cycle. The more one withdraws, the more alarmed the other becomes, increasing the frequency and intensity of hte attack, which further pushes the other into an even more entrenched withdrawal.

In EFT, we aim to break this cycle (or other variations of it that you may be experiencing), and to replace the old cycle with new, healthy and positive ways of interacting.

Benefits of EFCT

high recovery rates
stable results (even under high stress)
depression significantly reduced
initial level of marital distress is not a strong predictor of recovery
internal lack of emotional awareness or expressiveness are not strong predictors of recovery

Still not Sure?

If you would like more information or are still not sure if this is a good fit for you, please contact me.