EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED THERAPY
Do you feel stuck in your relationship? Are you ready to do something different?
At Cycles Couples Counseling, we work with couples who are sick of the same patterns over and over again. Our clinicians utilize Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to support those who are struggling with some of these frequent concerns:
- Repetitive Arguments
- Sexless Marriages
- Repairing from Affairs and Betrayals
- Communication Issues
- Disconnection and loneliness
These relationship concerns are common!
In fact, they represent the majority of the population we serve on a daily basis. You're not alone. We understand you may feel lost or angry right now. Relationships can be difficult to navigate, especially without a blueprint. But before you decide to give up, why not try something different with couples counseling? Participate in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
What Is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Therapy?
EFT earned the American Psychological Association (APA) gold standard as the most effective evidenced based couples therapy approach currently in the field. For instance, research studies find that 70-75% of couples move from distress to recovery and approximately 90% show significant improvements. Studies consistently show excellent follow-up results, and some studies show that significant progress continues after therapy.
At Cycles Couples Counseling, we want to give you the best care possible. We feel that we would be doing you a disservice to utilize any other approach in our work. That is why we are certified in EFT therapy, and continue to receive on-going supervision to hone these skills.
Every relationship has periods of disconnection and distress. However, it's not so much about the argument itself, as it is about the ways you find to reconnect. Frequently, by the time a couple has entered therapy they've tried everything they could to stay close.
We will help you and your partner make the implicit, explicit. By identifying and sharing your emotional experience, you two can begin to shift out of that terrible negative cycle.
You can build trust. You can repair.
How Does Emotionally Focused Therapy Work?
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy works in three stages. It is discernible by three processes of change: cycle de-escalation, withdrawer re-engagement, and pursuer softening. Time spent in each stage is dependent on emotional expression, trauma history and motivation to connect.
In this stage, couples identify the interaction pattern they each play a part in. As couples begin to call out this pattern and understand how they get stuck, they de-escalate and arguments become briefer and less intense. This tends to be where the bulk of couples' time in therapy is spent.
In stage two, we explore your experience of the world and how you view yourself, with this comes an identification of unmet needs and desires. Here, you will share this understanding with your partner and eventually reach for what is you truly need in your relationship.
It is here couples consolidate new positions and new cycles of attachment behavior. Couples begin to find new solutions to their old stuck relationship problems. This is generally brief and only 1-2 sessions in length. This is the end of the couples counseling process.
FAQ's about Emotionally Focused Therapy
How long does EFT therapy take compared to other therapy approaches?
The short answer: it depends. Emotionally Focused Therapy is meant to be a short term model of couples therapy. Meaning your clinician is not trying to foster a lifelong dependency. They're trying to help you to internalize a new way of being rather than relying on a clinician in session.
Counseling timelines vary depending on relationship history, communication styles, emotional expression and the presence of trauma. Your therapist will guide you through the process and be able to provide an appropriate road map of when to end counseling.
Because your EFT therapy clinician is not giving advice or using cognitive exercises, the experiences you create in therapy will transfer to your outside life and prevent you from needing more support in the future. We know therapy is kind of like going to the dentist--unappealing but necessary for your health. Our goal is to get you through treatment as efficiently as possible. We have a funky business model in that we're working ourselves out of job. We're looking for you to fire us and graduate!
Will you ever tell us to break up?
Obviously, as relationship therapists we take a biased stance on trying to strengthen and preserve the health of your bond. This means we believe in fighting for your relationship. We have seen many couples have a big turnaround after participating in EFT therapy, and we strive to help you get those same results.
However, if you decide you need to leave or end your current relationship status, we are here to bring you resolution. We can help you have more vulnerable and caring conversations to create the best goodbye possible for your unique situation. Part of keeping a relationship healthy is keeping it honest, and sometimes honesty means disclosing you'd like to end it. If this is your choice, we can help you part ways without creating more trauma to either party. We know you care about each other, otherwise you wouldn't be going through these great lengths to commit to therapy. We can help you carefully part ways.
How do I know Emotionally Focused Therapy will work for us?
We know psychology can be referred to as a "soft science" and while there's no 100% guarantee that any therapy practice will work, EFT has the empirical evidence to support its efficacy. To date, there have been no other couples therapy approaches that the American Psychological Association (APA) has found to be more impactful. Don't believe us? Check the stats!
Have a question?
Reach out to schedule a free consultation!
Emotionally Focused Therapy Blog Posts
Ok, we hear you--Emotionally Focused Therapy works. But why should we work with you?
Our team of couples therapists at Cycles Couples Counseling specializes exclusively in Emotionally Focused Therapy and their caseloads back that up! The EFT Couples therapists on our team spend about 85-90% of their direct clinical hours working with couples and 100% of their hours doing that work in the Emotionally Focused Therapy model. Each of our clinicians participates in a combination of individual, dyadic and group supervision each month to hone their skills in this approach. The CCC Clinical Director, Haleigh Butler, is one of only three Certified EFT Supervisors in Los Angeles, so clinicians at our site are receiving highly sought after hands-on training specifically geared towards couples and relationships. Our Emotionally Focused Therapists also receive an annual stipend to participate in EFT trainings all over the nation to diversify their understanding of this treatment method.
No only do we provide Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, we specialize in it!
Check out some reviews of people who have worked with our team:
"We have seen Haleigh for a while now and we have to say she is the the most highly gifted EFT Couples Counselor. She has the training and experience to handle couples who are in “cycle” and can’t seem to get out of it. We can’t say enough good things about her. She is highly qualified and we would only trust our relationship with her from now on."
You don't need to keep suffering. Let's do something different!
Our team is waiting on the line to coordinate Emotionally Focused Therapy treatment with you. We know exploring this page might have brought up many more questions. We're here to help! We offer free phone consultations to connect with you about the couples counseling scheduling process and respond to any concerns you may have as you make this decision. We respond to all emails and voicemails within 24 hrs of the next business day.
Looking for more information about Emotionally Focused Therapy?
Listen to Sue Johnson!
Listen to EFT Supervisor, Kelly Bourque!
Emotionally Focused Therapy Studio City
4370 Tujunga Ave Suite 110,
Studio City, CA 96104
Hours:
Monday - Friday 8am-8pm
Limited Sunday Availability
