MFT Exam: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

• The primary goal of EFT is to improve emotional responses and interactions between partners in a relationship.

Sue Johnson's Approach

• Sue Johnson developed Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).

Relationship Focus

• The primary focus of EFT in terms of relationships is to improve emotional responses and interactions between partners.

Emotion Awareness

• The process of identifying and understanding one's emotions in EFT is called "emotional awareness" or "emotional clarity".

Therapist's Role

• The primary role of the therapist in EFT is to facilitate the process of identifying and understanding emotions, and to help partners interact in a more emotionally responsive and engaged way.

EFT Interventions

Emotional Reframing

• Helps clients reframe emotional experiences in an adaptive and compassionate way
• Increases emotional awareness and understanding
• Shifts emotions from negative to positive, e.g., from anxiety to curiosity
• Enhances emotional regulation and resilience

Empty Chair Technique

• A therapeutic technique to access and process underlying emotions
• Client imagines a person or aspect of themselves in an empty chair
• Facilitates expression of unexpressed emotions and promotes emotional awareness
• Used to work through unresolved relationships, conflicts, or unprocessed emotions

Reprocessing Trauma

• A process of re-experiencing and re-evaluating traumatic or distressing events
• Aims to reduce emotional distress and promote emotional resolution
• Involves re-living the experience in a safe environment, focusing on emotional regulation and cognitive reappraisal
• Leads to increased emotional awareness, reduced avoidance, and improved emotional well-being

Cultivating Self-Compassion

• Involves cultivating a kind, accepting, and non-judgmental attitude towards oneself
• Recognizes common humanity and shared experiences
• Practices mindfulness, self-kindness, and understanding in the face of imperfection and difficulties
• Enhances emotional resilience, reduces self-criticism, and increases overall well-being

Intense Emotional Experiences

• Characterized by intense emotional arousal and physiological responses
• Can be triggered by traumatic events, significant losses, or intense relationships
• May lead to emotional dysregulation, avoidance, and distress
• EFT interventions help clients process and integrate these experiences, promoting emotional resolution and increased resilience