Emotion Focused Therapy in Edmonton & Sherwood Park
What Is Emotion Focused Therapy?
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is a therapeutic approach that helps individuals understand, process, and manage their emotions to improve emotional well-being and relationship dynamics.
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Grief/Loss
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Trauma (including physical, sexual or emotional abuse and domestic violence)
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Personality/Mood Disorders
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Sexuality, Gender & Intimacy
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is a transformative approach designed to help individuals understand and manage their emotions, leading to improved relationships and emotional well-being. Picture your emotions as the weather; sometimes they’re stormy and overwhelming, other times calm and clear. EFT helps you navigate these emotional weather patterns, fostering a deeper understanding and acceptance of your feelings.
Developed by Dr. Leslie Greenberg, EFT is grounded in the belief that emotions are central to our identity and decision-making processes. It’s based on the idea that by experiencing and processing emotions fully, individuals can resolve emotional distress and create lasting change.
In EFT, the therapist guides you through a process of exploring and expressing your emotions in a safe, supportive environment. This involves identifying and understanding your primary emotions—those deep, often vulnerable feelings like sadness, fear, or love—and distinguishing them from secondary emotions like anger or frustration, which might be masking the primary emotions.
Through this process, EFT helps you access and articulate your true feelings, allowing for emotional healing and growth. It’s particularly effective in improving relationship dynamics, as it enables partners to connect on a deeper emotional level, fostering empathy and understanding.
EFT sessions often involve techniques like reflecting on past experiences, role-playing, and exploring bodily sensations related to emotions. This helps you gain insight into how your emotions influence your thoughts and behaviors, leading to healthier emotional regulation and interpersonal interactions.
In essence, EFT is about embracing and working through your emotions rather than avoiding them, leading to a more authentic, emotionally connected life. It’s like learning to dance in the rain, finding strength and clarity in your emotional experiences.