How do you react to emotionally heated moments in therapy? Many therapists, including those engaged in couples work, respond by disrupting and avoiding strong displays of emotion—tears, bickering, passive aggressiveness, explosive exchanges, and more. Such therapists operate from the perspective that a calm, regulated state is the most productive for therapy.
Other therapists, like Hold Me Tight author and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) developer Susan Johnson, move with emotion rather than away from it. According to Susan, even strong emotions that are difficult to work with guide the therapy in the direction of what’s important. The key is knowing how to use them in a way that moves the therapy forward and leads to relationship repair.
In this clip, Susan shares the latest research that backs up the central principle of EFT—that emotion is a highly effective therapeutic tool, so long as the therapist knows how to use it.
Rich Simon
Richard Simon, PhD, founded Psychotherapy Networker and served as the editor for more than 40 years. He received every major magazine industry honor, including the National Magazine Award. Rich passed away November 2020, and we honor his memory and contributions to the field every day.
Susan Johnson
Dr. Sue Johnson is an author, clinical psychologist, researcher, professor, popular presenter and speaker and a leading innovator in the field of couple therapy and adult attachment. Sue is the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy (EFT), which has demonstrated its effectiveness in over 30 years of peer-reviewed clinical research. Sue Johnson is founding Director of the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) and Distinguished Research Professor at Alliant University in San Diego, California, and Professor, Clinical Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, Canada, as well as Professor Emeritus, Clinical Psychology, at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Johnson is the author of numerous books and articles including Attachment Theory in Practice: EFT with Individuals, Couples and Families (2019) The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: Creating Connection (3rd edition, 2019) and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy with Trauma Survivors (2002).
