Emotionally Focused Therapy
Emotionally-Focused Therapy Related to Attachment Theory
Jordan Gies
Metropolitan State University
PSY 2150
To love and be loved in return is essential for an individual’s happiness. In accordance with many other aspects of life, marital status as been linked to influencing ones life in a positive way; making it happier (Stack, Eshleman, 527). The problem with this is that not all marriages stay healthy and good. With divorce rates raging from 40%-50% in the United States, there ends up being a gap in the happiness of many (Marriage and Divorce, 1). One path that some pairs choose is couples therapy. Unfortunately, generalized couples therapy can be tricky in the way that there is not enough empirical data and it proves difficult for a therapist to know what to do, when to do it, or how to do it properly. As Greenman and Johnson point out, “Research done in the past 30 years would suggest that between 25%-30% of couples who receive therapy do not demonstrate significant improvement and that there are substantial rates of relapse (close to 40%) among those who do” (Greenman, Johnson, 46). This being said, they continue on to talk about an exception to this rule. It is an experiential-humanistic, systemic intervention that has plenty of empirical support and linked evidence between client outcome and the therapy process. This intervention is called Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT). To introduce this type of therapy is it important to know about Attachment Theory. This theory was developed in great part by a British psychiatrist named John Bowlby in the 1950’s (Peterson, 258). This theory has since been studied vigorously using the Strange Situation technique, which measures infant-parent attachment. It will observe infants reactions to their mothers leaving, and also to their return. What has been found is that children at a very young age develop one of three possible attachment styles. The first of the possibilities is to become securely
Jordan Gies
Metropolitan State University
PSY 2150
To love and be loved in return is essential for an individual’s happiness. In accordance with many other aspects of life, marital status as been linked to influencing ones life in a positive way; making it happier (Stack, Eshleman, 527). The problem with this is that not all marriages stay healthy and good. With divorce rates raging from 40%-50% in the United States, there ends up being a gap in the happiness of many (Marriage and Divorce, 1). One path that some pairs choose is couples therapy. Unfortunately, generalized couples therapy can be tricky in the way that there is not enough empirical data and it proves difficult for a therapist to know what to do, when to do it, or how to do it properly. As Greenman and Johnson point out, “Research done in the past 30 years would suggest that between 25%-30% of couples who receive therapy do not demonstrate significant improvement and that there are substantial rates of relapse (close to 40%) among those who do” (Greenman, Johnson, 46). This being said, they continue on to talk about an exception to this rule. It is an experiential-humanistic, systemic intervention that has plenty of empirical support and linked evidence between client outcome and the therapy process. This intervention is called Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT). To introduce this type of therapy is it important to know about Attachment Theory. This theory was developed in great part by a British psychiatrist named John Bowlby in the 1950’s (Peterson, 258). This theory has since been studied vigorously using the Strange Situation technique, which measures infant-parent attachment. It will observe infants reactions to their mothers leaving, and also to their return. What has been found is that children at a very young age develop one of three possible attachment styles. The first of the possibilities is to become securely
Cited: Greenman, P., & Johnson, S. (2013). Process Research on Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples: Linking Theory to Practice. Family Process, 52, 46-61. Retrieved November 29, 2014, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.dml.regis.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=552d7eaa-fd7a-47e1-85e2-1e0eeb60ec88@sessionmgr115&vid=3&hid=110 Marriage and Divorce. (n.d.). Retrieved November 29, 2014, from http://www.apa.org/topics/divorce/ Peterson, C. (2006). A primer in positive psychology. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Stack, S., & Eshleman, R. (1998). Marital Status and Happiness: A 17-Nation Study. Journal of Marriage and Family, 60(2), 527-538. (Stack, Eshleman, 527)