Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a humanistic approach to psychotherapy designed to resolve emotional and relationship issues for individuals, couples, and families. Developed in the mid-1980s by Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg, EFT uniquely combines experiential therapy, systemic thinking, and attachment theory. Its core premise is that emotions significantly influence cognition and behavior, and are deeply connected to our fundamental needs.

Treatment goals include transforming unhelpful emotional patterns, such as avoidance, and fostering greater awareness, acceptance, and regulation of emotions to build healthier relationships. While Greenberg subsequently focused on developing an emotion-focused approach for individuals, Johnson continued to refine EFT for couples, integrating attachment theory to specifically address and reshape relationship bonds. This short-term therapy, typically lasting 8 to 20 sessions, helps clients achieve profound emotional and relational change.