Emotion-Focused Therapy
Core Mechanism
Accessing and processing primary adaptive emotions transforms maladaptive emotion schemes
Ontology
Maladaptive emotion schemes formed in relational experience that need emotional re-processing
Therapeutic Voice
"Stay with that feeling for a moment. What does that sadness need to say?"
View of the Person
An emotional being whose felt experience is the primary guide to meaning — emotion is information, not noise
Evidence
APA Div 12: Strong Research Support for depression
10+ RCTs
Timulak & Keogh (2017); Elliott et al. (2013)
Strong evidence for depression, comparable to CBT.
Conditions
Epistemology
Blind Spots
Can be overwhelming for clients who lack basic emotion regulation; may underemphasize cognitive and behavioral dimensions
Contraindications
Severe dissociation where emotional deepening risks destabilization, active psychosis, clients who are highly alexithymic without preparatory work, ongoing domestic violence where emotional vulnerability could increase risk
Training
Licensed clinician. Two certification bodies: ICEEFT (Sue Johnson, couples/individual/family) and isEFT (Leslie Greenberg, individual/couples). Both require multi-phase training + supervised practice + video submission.
ICEEFT — Certified EFT Therapist (EFCT/EFIT/EFFT): Externship (4 days) + Core Skills (4 × 2-day workshops over ~1 year) + 8–16 hrs supervision + video submission. Application fee CAD $600. isEFT — 5 levels (A through E): Level A (basic, 8 days) → Level B (supervised practice, 16 hrs) → Level C (certified, video submission).
ICEEFT: Externship 28–30 hrs + Core Skills ~56 hrs + supervision. isEFT: 8+ days basic + 16+ hrs supervision. Full certification: 2+ years.
Externship: $1.5K–2.5K; Core Skills ~$3K–4K; supervision additional; total certification path $5K–10K+
Philosophical Roots
Merleau-Ponty (embodied meaning); Buber (dialogical encounter); Gendlin (felt sense, focusing); Rogers (experiencing); James (emotion as bodily process)
Related Modalities
Test Yourself
Primary vs. secondary emotions?
Show answer
Primary: initial adaptive response. Secondary: covers the primary (anger covering sadness).