Diane Gattermann, MA, MFT, ATR, nd

I am often asked what approach I take when working with couples and if what I do really works. I use an approach called Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), which was developed in Canada and has the highest success  rate of any couple's therapy approach currently available.

In the past, therapists have done individual therapy with both parties in the room and called it “couple therapy”.  Some therapists even advocate for individual therapy without either member of the couple ever being part of those sessions. Thankfully EFT was created in an attempt to put the “couple” back in “couple therapy”. EFT focuses on hearing couple's stories while focusing on the  communication patterns and misunderstanding within the stories rather than in taking sides.  The idea is to help the couple to better understand each other and to rediscover the warmth and love that they both so richly deserve.

Does EFT work?

Fact #1: EFT is one of the few therapies that helps couples get back to their loving feelings; be connected; be secure and happy in their relationship.

Fact # 2: EFT helps couples by working to strengthen attachment bonds. Having strong attachment bonds means couples: feel safe together, know they are most important to their partner, are more flexible in problem solving, communicate, and securely connected. The same old fight is finally resolved. The walls that kept you away from each other crumble away and the feelings that brought you together in the beginning revive and grow.

Fact # 3: EFT research has been published in professional journals proving its effectiveness. As a model of therapy, it is respected widely in the field as is the therapy co-originator, award winning psychologist, Dr. Susan Johnson. Dr. Johnson developed EFT with Dr. Les Greenberg in the 1980's. Over the past 30 years many research studies have proven EFT works!

Fact # 4: In EFT research studies, most couples (over 70%) turned their relationship around (from distressed – no matter how distressed – to happy) and over 90% of couples “significantly improved”.

Here are what the experts are saying:

One of the few approaches to marital therapy that has been proven to be effective
Jay Lebow, Ph.D, President,
Division of Family Psychology of the American Psychological Association

EFT a proven road map to the process of change in couple therapy
John Gottman, Ph.D,
Bestselling author of The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work

EFT one of the best documented, most substantive and well researched approaches to couple therapy
Alan S. Gurman, Ph.D

EFT has achieved an astounding 75 percent success rate. Results are lasting!
American Psychological Association