Emotion Focused Psychology & Counselling

Emotion Focused Therapy in Melbourne

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) is the approach our practice is named after. It is an evidence-based way of working that treats emotion not as a problem to be managed but as the most direct route to lasting change.

Most of us have had the experience of knowing exactly why we react the way we do and still reacting that way. That is because insight alone rarely changes a pattern that is held in feeling. EFT works at that level: slowing down, noticing what is actually there, making sense of it and letting it shift.

Both of our psychologists have trained with the Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy and work with individuals and couples in Caulfield South and online.

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How EFT works

For individuals

Anxiety, overthinking and burnout are often protective. Worry keeps you prepared. Pushing through keeps you safe from falling short. Over time these strategies cost more than they give.

In individual EFT, developed by Dr Leslie Greenberg, we help you notice the feelings underneath the busy thinking, understand what they are trying to protect, and respond to yourself differently. People often describe feeling less driven and more settled, without having to argue themselves out of their worries.

About individual therapy

For couples

EFT for couples, developed by Dr Sue Johnson, is built on attachment science: the understanding that adults need to feel secure with the people they love, and that most conflict is a protest against the loss of that security.

In sessions we map the cycle you get stuck in, help each of you say the softer things underneath the harder ones, and build new conversations where you can reach for each other and be met. Couples often say it is the first time they have felt properly understood by their partner in years.

About couples counselling

What the research says

Emotion Focused Therapy for couples is one of the most thoroughly studied approaches in the field. Across randomised trials and follow-up studies, a large majority of couples report significant improvement in relationship satisfaction, and these gains are generally maintained after therapy ends.

For individuals, EFT has demonstrated effectiveness for depression, generalised anxiety, social anxiety, trauma and difficulties in close relationships, and it compares well with cognitive behavioural approaches in head-to-head studies.

The Australian Psychological Society lists EFT among the evidence-based interventions for several of these concerns. In our own work, we combine EFT with other evidence-based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and the Gottman Method, to suit each person or couple.

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What an EFT session feels like

Sessions are unhurried. We spend less time on advice and more time on what is happening for you in the moment. You might be asked to slow down and notice what you feel in your body as you describe a situation, or to say something to your partner directly rather than about them.

This can feel unfamiliar at first, particularly if you are used to managing emotion by thinking your way around it. Your psychologist will move at a pace that feels safe, and you will never be pushed further than you want to go.

Over time, most people find that what once felt overwhelming becomes workable, and that the patterns they came in with start to loosen on their own.

Common questions about EFT

What is Emotion Focused Therapy?

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based approach to psychotherapy that works with emotion as the main route to change. Rather than only challenging thoughts or changing behaviour, EFT helps people notice, understand and transform the feelings that drive their patterns. It was developed by Dr Leslie Greenberg for individuals and by Dr Sue Johnson for couples.

Is EFT the same as Emotionally Focused Therapy?

The two names are used almost interchangeably. Emotionally Focused Therapy usually refers to the couples model developed by Dr Sue Johnson. Emotion Focused Therapy is the broader term and includes work with individuals. We practise both.

Does Emotion Focused Therapy work?

EFT for couples is one of the most researched couples therapies. Reviews of clinical trials consistently find that most couples improve, and that gains tend to hold after therapy ends. EFT for individuals has good evidence for depression, anxiety, trauma and interpersonal difficulties.

How is EFT different from CBT?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) focuses mainly on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. EFT focuses on the emotions underneath them. In practice many psychologists, including ours, draw on both. If you have tried CBT and found that you understood your patterns but they did not shift, an emotion-focused approach may be a useful next step.

How long does EFT take?

For couples, EFT is usually a short to medium term therapy of roughly eight to twenty sessions. For individuals it varies with what you are working on. We review progress together as we go.

Where can I see an EFT therapist in Melbourne?

Both of our psychologists have trained with the Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy and see clients in person in Caulfield South, in Melbourne’s south-east, and online across Australia.

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