Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an innovative approach to relationship therapy Vancouver with strong empirical backing. Developed originally in Vancouver, B.C., and now recognized internationally, this approach assists distressed couples in creating a new, more positive attachment. As an approach to relationship therapy vancouver, it does this by helping couples to access and express the deeper feelings and dependency needs that underlie their conflict. Following a description of the effectiveness of EFT and its theory of love, attachment theory, I will illustrate how EFT works with the clinical case of a distressed couple.
"In our opinion, love is the one force that is capable of easing existential despair and the endemic pain of the human condition. We feel that to develop emotionally, as well as spiritually, one needs to learn how to love, to continue to search for love throughout life, and to remain positive, not become cynical or despairing when love fails." Robert Firestone and Joyce Catlett.
Relationship Therapy Vancouver: the Effectiveness of EFT
The effectiveness of EFT as a relationship therapy Vancouver has been validated by nine controlled outcome studies over 15 years. This research shows that three quarters of couples are no longer distressed after 8-20 sessions of EFT, with 95% experiencing improvement. In addition, two-year follow-up studies show that EFT as a relationship therapy vancouver produces changes that are stable.
I was fortunate to participate in the early development of EFT as a relationship therapy Vancouver. In the mid 1980s, I was a secondary therapist in the original outcome study of EFT at UBC conducted by its originators, Dr. Leslie Greenberg and Dr. Susan Johnson. Next, I was a primary therapist in the second research study demonstrating the effectiveness of EFT as a relationship therapy Vancouver, conducted by Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Audrey Goldman.
Finally, I conducted a constructive outcome study of EFT as a relationship therapy Vancouver in 1987 for my doctoral dissertation. This study compared the effectiveness of twelve sessions of EFT to eight sessions of EFT plus four sessions of a communication skills training component. Both of these treatments of relationship therapy Vancouver were effective in shifting relationships from distressed to non-distressed compared to a wait-list control group.
If you would like more information regarding relationship therapy Vancouver, please feel free to contact me at 604-873-0222 or at info@pauljames.ca.
