EFT International
School

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a unique and highly effective form of therapy that helps people understand and improve their emotional connection with themselves and others. Developed in the 1980s by Dr Sue Johnson, a talented researcher, innovator and a highly regarded psychotherapist herself, EFT is based on the principle that our emotions are central to our experiences and relationships. It suggests that we are naturally designed to have a secure sense of who we are and a sense of self we can trust and rely on. This solid base allows for strong, supportive bonds with others, and when these bonds are secure, we tend to be happier and healthier.

As a well-known humanistic approach to psychotherapy it is developed in tandem with the science of adult attachment, a profound developmental theory of personality and intimate relationships.

This science has expanded our understanding of individual dysfunction and health as well as the nature of love relationships and family bonds. Attachment views human beings as innately relational, social and wired for intimate bonding with others.  The EFT model prioritizes emotion and emotional regulation as the core organizing agents in individual experience and key relationship interactions.

One of the great things about EFT is its versatility. While it is best known as a cutting edge, tested and proven couple intervention, it is also used to address depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorders in individuals (EFIT – Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy) and to repair family bonds and deepen connections, making it an excellent choice for families looking to improve their dynamic (EFFT – Emotionally Focused Family Therapy).  This model operationalizes the principles of attachment science using non-pathologizing experiential and relational systems techniques to focus on and change core organizing factors in both the self and key relationships.

What makes EFT stand out is its focus on emotions and how we manage and use them. This approach helps people understand their feelings and the feelings of those around them, leading to healthier and more fulfilling relationships. It’s not just about finding quick fixes; it’s about getting to the heart of the matter and creating lasting change.

EFT isn’t just a theory; its effectiveness is backed by extensive clinical research. It’s considered a gold standard in this field. Beyond therapy sessions, EFT principles have been applied to create various relationship education programs. These include “Hold Me Tight® Online“, an online relationship program for couples, “Hold Me Tight®: Conversations for Connection,” which is available in an online format, and specialized programs catering to different needs, like “Created for Connection” for Christian couples and “Healing Hearts Together” for couples dealing with cardiac issues. There are also programs designed for families with teenagers or adult children.

Key Strengths of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

• – EFT is based on clear, explicit research-based conceptualizations of individual growth, health and dysfunction and of relationship distress and adult love.
• – EFT is a change process that facilitates movement from distress to recovery by transforming negative cycles of interaction into safe emotional connection between intimate partners and family members.
• – Key change strategies and intervention sequences have been specified and mapped into three stages of therapy and key change events that predict success at the end of therapy.
• – EFT has been validated by over 30 years of empirical research. There is also research on the change processes and predictors of success.
• – EFT has been applied to many different kinds of problems and populations.

EFT International School was set up in 2015 to promote Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) approach in the UK and around the world.

We work with leading EFT academics and practitioners, bringing the best names in the field to share their exquisite knowledge, passion and expertise with EFT Newcomers and EFT- trained clinicians on various practical and theoretical topics. We offer EFT training, events, conferences, and what has been called a ‘highlight of the year‘ event, our annual EFT International Summer School in June/July each year.

Our major annual conference is highly acclaimed and much-loved EFT Summer School, “Highlight of the year…” by many participants account, with two training cohorts for EFT Newcomers and EFT-Trained qualified psychotherapists, counsellors and psychologists.

We also have another popular regular event EFT Movie Club, where we watch real clients’ sessions, couples, individuals or families, by famous and well-regarded EFT trainers and experts in the field, with the presenters running the session and making process comments along the line.

There are regular EFT supervision and Skills groups for EFT-Newcomers and EFT-Trained therapists.

EFT Forum events are mainly focused on more specific EFT topics and intersection of EFT with other effective attachment-based approaches or relevant theories, eg, Engaged Encounters in EFT, EFT and Polyvagal theory, EFT and Discernment counselling approach, etc.