Emotion- Focused couple therapy came into being originally in Canada around 2008, through the work of Professor Leslie Greenberg and Dr Sue Johnson, who identified a need for a systematic, more emotionally-focused training in couple counselling for counsellors, psychotherapists, social workers and health workers who were working with couples who needed help. This fresh approach to couple counselling grew out of the Emotion-Focused one-to-one therapy introduced by Professor Leslie Greenberg around 2001.

What makes this approach different from other approaches is that it utilises the emotional bond that exists between individuals in relationships as a powerful tool to resolve differences and promote better emotional connection, something most people long for, wish to preserve when they find it, and are anxious about losing.

There have been many studies evaluating the value of Emotion-Focused Therapy for couples, and the effectiveness of this approach has been well documented. If you are interested in exploring the principles behind EFT, the following references and links will tell you more about the process and what has been found in various studies.