_{What is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)?}

_{EFT is a highly effective treatment approach that helps individuals, couples, and families understand and improve emotional connection with themselves and others. The leading developer of EFT, Susan "Sue" M. Johnson, EdD, was committed to expanding on the basic principles of bonding and attachment science. Sue developed an experiential and humanistic model of treatment that provides therapists with a clear map and interventions that change the way clients interact with their emotional experience and that of their loved ones. EFT has a strong emphasis on how emotions are managed and utilized in order to help clients make sense of their internal worlds, their attachment needs, and the unhealthy interactional patterns they engage in as they attempt to get their needs met. EFT therapists help clients to organize their internal world and begin to understand their difficulties in a new way. The ability to tolerate difficult emotions, adapt to stressors, communicate more effectively, and lean on others for support improves through EFT treatment.}

_{Why EFT?}

_{Bonding is crucial to human survival and thriving. Loneliness and isolation that occurs when connection with important others is lost is a threat to survival and detrimental to one's mental health. Disconnect in crucial relationships can contribute to depression, anxiety, panic, and other mental health difficulties. Secure bonds can lead to relief from such symptoms and act as buffers to stressors and the effects of traumatic experiences. EFT helps to build more secure bonds through a focus on active processing, regulation of emotions, and co-regulation. Through structured interactions the therapist helps the client(s) have new experiences that support development of new patterns of engaging, as well as developing healthier responses and narratives.}