Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples

Leslie S. Greenberg, PhD, is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Psychology and founder and former director of the Emotion-Focused Therapy Clinic at York University in Toronto, Canada.Susan M. Johnson, EdD, until her death in 2024, was Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology at the University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Distinguished Research Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Alliant International University in San Diego; and Director of the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy. "Dr. Sue" was the pioneering innovator of emotionally focused therapy (EFT). She published widely, including acclaimed books for professionals, bestselling books for general readers, and numerous articles, book chapters, and teaching videos. Her seminal contributions to couple therapy have been recognized with the Family Psychologist of the Year Award from Division 43 of the American Psychological Association and the Outstanding Contribution to Marriage and Family Therapy Award from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. She was most proud of receiving the Order of Canada, one of the country’s highest civilian honors.

"Greenberg and Johnson's description of the implementation of Emotionally Focused Therapy is lively and abounds with clinical insights. Clinical material and transcripts are used liberally to illustrate points, and the balance achieved between exposition and illustration results in a highly readable text. The course of Emotionally Focused Therapy is brought to life in a detailed case example that provides an almost palpable sense of the therapy." - Contemporary Psychology "One of the strengths of this work is the clinical examples. The interactions of the couples, heard both in short and long excerpts throughout the text, underscore therapist interventions as well as bring the nine-step process to life. The authors clearly demonstrate how negative interactions and conflict are decreased and trust and intimacy are increased when EFT is integrated into couple therapy....Highly recommended for beginning professionals as well as experienced professionals who wish to review the process or add a new dimension to their practice." - Journal of Family Psychotherapy

• I. Theory and Research 1. Emotion in Interaction 2. An Affective Systemic Approach II. Practice 3. General Considerations 4. The Initial Interview 5. The Process of Therapy 6. Therapist Interventions 7. Clinical Issues III. Effecting Change 8. The Process of Change 9. Epilogue: Integration