Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy: The Dynamics of Emotion, Love, and Power

Emotion regulation over attachment styles2

The authors write that emotional reactivity and regulation, not working models or attachment styles, generate attachment-related behavior (p. 83).

Three motives1

Affect regulation runs through attachment, identity and attraction; the dominance dimension of couples' interactions gets its own treatment.

Self-soothing and other-soothing2

If each partner can regulate their own distress, they are less likely to attack or withdraw.

Five stages, 14 steps3

Identity issues and self-regulation are worked on before negative interactions are changed.

Emotion by emotion2

Chapters on anger, sadness, fear and shame, and on positive states.

Unmet needs1

Works with needs left unmet in childhood and adulthood, not only in the present relationship.

Self change, not only cycle change3

A core shame, such as feeling 'rotten at the core', is not healed by a partner's reassurance alone.

Emotion-focused, not emotionally focused2

The name change reflects the wider family of emotion-focused approaches.

Too individual for some2

The reviewers note systems-oriented therapists may see it as too much individual therapy inside couples work.

Untested against the original2

It was open whether the new version would match the efficacy found for the original model.

Thin on cases2

One possible criticism: too little case material illustrating the interventions; the reviewers call for a manual.

Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples

The 1988 manual with Sue Johnson that this book revises.

The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy: Creating Connection

Johnson's attachment-centred version, for comparison.

Emotionally focused couples therapy

The approach page here.