Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT)
Helping Loving Couples Heal Attachment Wounds and Reconnect
In my work with couples, I use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a structured, evidence-based model developed by Dr. Sue Johnson. EFT is grounded in the science of adult attachment and offers a powerful framework for understanding and repairing the emotional bonds between partners.
I specialize in working with couples who deeply love each other and want their relationship to work, but find themselves stuck in recurring conflicts, emotional distance, or painful misunderstandings. Despite their shared commitment, these couples often feel disconnected, frustrated, or exhausted by patterns they don’t fully understand. What’s underneath is usually not a lack of love, but attachment-related fears — fear of rejection, abandonment, or not being good enough — that create cycles of protection, withdrawal, or protest.
Using the EFT approach, I help partners slow down and make sense of these emotional patterns together. The work begins by identifying the negative cycles that keep the couple stuck — cycles where one partner may reach out anxiously while the other shuts down, or where criticism and defensiveness replace tenderness and support. I help each person see the emotional logic of these patterns and recognize that the true problem isn’t each other, but the cycle itself.
Once the cycle is named, we begin to explore the more vulnerable emotions that lie beneath reactive behaviors — hurt, fear, longing, shame, and the deep need for connection. With empathy and care, I guide partners in sharing these emotions in new, more authentic ways. This process opens the door to deeper understanding, emotional responsiveness, and the repair of attachment injuries.
As partners learn to turn toward each other instead of away, they begin to co-create a sense of emotional safety. They experience new bonding moments that feel healing, strengthening their ability to face conflict, stress, or change together. Over time, couples shift from disconnection to secure attachment — where love feels safe, seen, and sustaining.
Why EFT?
EFT is one of the most well-researched and effective approaches to couple therapy. Its strength lies in its ability to honor the emotional pain beneath relationship distress and transform it into connection. Most couples I work with don’t want to give up — they want to feel close again, to be understood, and to bring out the best in each other. EFT gives us a map to get there.
As a psychologist trained in this model, I bring deep respect for the emotional world each partner carries. If you and your partner love each other but keep getting caught in painful patterns, there is hope. EFT can help you rebuild trust, strengthen your emotional bond, and create a relationship where both of you feel secure and valued.