go beyond traditional talk therapy.
Couples therapy in Gilbert, Arizona
You’ve tried everything you can think of to stop fighting, but nothing sticks.
A Marriage without intimacy and emotional safety feels like…
Emotions, when shared, are often met with defensiveness, minimizing, deflection, fixing or explaining, rather than validation and empathy.
Sexual desire lessons, feels empty or like a chore
Lonely, so incredibly lonely
You or your partner feel like you have to jump through hoops to prove to your spouse that you care about them because they don’t believe it.
Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples can help you find the softness and tenderness in your relationship again.
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EFT Focuses on relationships and attachment. It was developed in the 1980s by Dr. Sue Johnson and Dr. Les Greenberg. is grounded in attachment theory, suggesting humans are wired for close emotional connections and disruptions to these connections can lead to emotional distress and relationship problems.
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EFT aims to help individuals and couples recognize, understand and reshape the emotional responses that drive their interactions and conflicts. We will identify negative patterns, understand the underlying emotions and develop healthier emotional responses that reflect vulnerability and promote connection.
Key aspects of EFT:
Attachment focus: We will explore attachment needs and fears, how these impact emotional responses and behaviors in the relationship
Emotional Awareness: We will identify deep emotions that may be driving conflicts or distress.
Restructuring Interactions: We will work to shift negative interaction patterns (blame, withdrawal, passive aggressiveness) to more positive, emotionally supportive behaviors.
Strengthening Bonds: We will help build new, emotionally responsive ways of interacting that build trust, emotional security and intimacy.
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Being securely attached to our partner calms our nervous system. You will find that as your partner becomes your safe place, your body and mind will become more calm, cortisol levels will drop, and the serotonin and oxytocin that comes with feeling bonded and safe will boost your mood and lower your anxiety.
At the end of the day, I want you to know:
Emotionally Focused Therapy can change your life. I have been on that therapy couch with my own spouse, not believing I could heal. I never could have imagined we would be where we are today. I practice EFT because it saved my own marriage.
Is Emotionally focused therapy right for you?
EFT is a good fit for you if you…
both want to improve your relationship
are not experiencing violence in the relationship
are not experiencing ongoing addiction (however once the addicted partner has committed to help and addiction recovery we can work with this)
are not experiencing ongoing affair(s)