Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT): Getting in Touch With Our Emotions to Communicate Our Needs

Dr. Sue Johnson and Dr. Les Greenberg created Emotion Focused Therapy in the 1980s with couples in mind. The philosophy behind the technique is that human emotions are connected to human needs, so when we connect to our emotions, we are better able to express our needs. 

Though EFT was initially meant to facilitate better communication between partners and thereby strengthen relationships, Dr. Greenberg later developed the technique for individual therapy to help people become better acquainted with the core pain behind their feelings. 

Emotion focused therapy is focused on six principles:

• Awareness of Emotions

Noticing the emotions that are arising inside of you

• Expressing Emotions

Communicating that emotion to others

• Regulating Emotions

Bringing your emotions to a level where you can manage and process them

• Reflecting on Emotions

Gaining insight from your emotions and using that insight to create new narratives

• Changing Emotion with Emotion

Rather than trying to shift your emotional experience with reason and logic, you transform the emotion you’re

feeling into another emotion. 

• Correcting the Emotional Experience 

Shifting the way your emotions manifest in relationships with other people. 

Through EFT we are seen as the authority on our emotions and the therapist is there to help us navigate those emotions in a way that allows us to better understand ourselves and what we need to live a healthy, fulfilling life. 

References:

Emotion-Focused Therapy on goodtherapy.org

Emotion-Focused Therapy on icliniq.com

Six Principles for Working with Emotions on The Counselling Channel on Youtube.