What is Emotion-Focused Therapy? (The Pros and Cons)
Are you tempted to push down any strong emotions you experience? Is it more comfortable for you to ignore your feelings than try to understand them?
Here at KMA Therapy, we know how complicated your emotions can be. We’re here to help you understand them - and equip you with the best tools to manage, validate, and express your feelings.
Understanding different types of therapy can help you make informed decisions when choosing a therapist, and if you’re interested in learning more about your emotions, emotion-focused therapy can be a great option.
After reading this article, you’ll know what emotion-focused therapy is, its pros and cons, and how to know if it could be the right fit for you.
What is Emotion-Focused Therapy?
Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is a humanistic form of psychotherapy that focuses on the idea that your emotions are strongly connected to your identity and well-being.
Your emotions offer valuable information about your experiences and motivations, and learning to understand your emotions can be a powerful way to change and grow.
Emotion-focused therapy can help with issues like:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Interpersonal or relationship issues
(When looking for emotion-focused therapy near you, be sure not to confuse it with Emotional Freedom Technique, which is also called EFT. While some people find emotional freedom technique to be helpful for managing their emotions, it’s not a regulated form of therapy, and many emotional freedom technique practitioners are not licensed therapists.)
What Happens During Emotion-Focused Therapy?
During emotion-focused therapy, your therapist will make sure you feel comfortable by creating a safe, caring, and empathetic environment.
A core component of EFT is that you need to feel your feelings in order to change them - if you’re someone who constantly ignores your feelings or pushes them aside, EFT will create an opportunity for you to experience and understand your feelings.
During EFT, your therapist will help you:
- Identify your feelings
- Accept and regulate difficult feelings
- Experience and validate, rather than suppress, your feelings
- Understand how your feelings make sense with your personal identity and story
- Set up strategies to successfully experience and manage your emotions in the future
The Pros of Emotion-Focused Therapy
Emotion-focused therapy lets you address your emotions directly, helping you to develop a deeper understanding of your emotional experiences. It can help you grow your emotional intelligence and create new, positive narratives about your life.
Emotion-focused therapy can be a great choice for you if:
- You’re looking for practical strategies to help manage your emotions
- You’re open to discussing and exploring your feelings with your therapist
- You want to understand the underlying causes of the challenges you’re experiencing
The Cons of Emotion-Focused Therapy
While emotion-focused therapy can have a lot of benefits for a wide range of issues, it’s not the right choice for everyone.
Emotion-focused therapy may not be the right choice for you if:
- You’re looking for a shorter-term form of therapy
- You’re looking for a more solutions-oriented form of therapy
- You aren’t comfortable or really struggle with discussing your feelings
Alternatives to Emotion-Focused Therapy
After learning about the pros and cons of emotion-focused, you may be interested in alternative forms of therapy.
Alternatives to emotion-focused therapy include:
- Dialectical behaviour therapy, which provides a more structured form of therapy for processing and managing emotions
- Psychodynamic therapy, which helps you explore how past situations are impacting your present feelings, emotions, and behaviours
- Existential therapy, which allows you to explore your feelings through the broader perspective of your sense of meaning and purpose in life
Next Steps for Beginning Therapy
After reading this article, you know what emotion-focused therapy is, its pros and cons, and how to know if it could be the right choice for you.
Here at KMA Therapy, we’re here to guide you through every step of the therapy journey, from matching you with the best therapist for you to exploring which type of therapy will help you the most.
Register online to get started today or read our free Therapy 101 Guide for more information.
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