Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples Can Soothe the Brain
We are innately designed to attach to others, to seek safety and connection to those that we love the most. This type of connection helps us to feel more confident and empowered in our personal lives. Unfortunately, in life there are times when couples get caught in cycles of disconnection. During these key moments couples become disconnected and develop patterns of criticism, anger, defend and withdraw. Emotionally Focused Therapy helps couples to recognize these patterns and to see that they are not the enemy but the pattern of disconnect is the problem. EFT helps couples to overcome these negative cycles, re-establish their connection, and strengthen their emotional bond.
We can now see how the brain responds differently to threat when we are feeling safely attached to our partners. Research shows that EFT Therapy for Couples can change the way our brain responds to threat and pain and that adult bonding helps to soothe our brains and provide us with a respite to the challenges of life.
Recent research involves outcome studies of couples facing trauma and stressful events (the Dalton and MacIntosh studies, and a study on EFT effects on attachment security with an FMRI component.) The FMRI study shows that EFT changes the way contact with a partner mediates the effect of threat on the brain.
Watch a short video, Soothing the Threatened Brain, summarizing this study below:
Vancouver EMDR Therapy PLLC
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