Click here for Dr. Sue Johnson’s webpage.
Click here for a review of the Hold Me Tight DVD.
Click here to go to the ICEEFT website for a list of other training resources.
Listen to Dr. Johnson discuss the recent and most extensive and elaborate study ever undertaken with EFT! (Click here to watch the YouTube video.)
In this study Dr. Sue Johnson and University of Virginia neuroscientist, Dr. James Coan, show for the first time that EFT changes how the brain perceives and responds to threat. Their study, clearly illustrates how couples therapy that creates secure bonds between partners builds the pathway for loving contact that soothes the brain, calms perception of danger and soothes pain. Entitled, “Soothing the Threatened Brain: Leveraging Contact Comfort with Emotionally Focused Therapy” the study is strong evidence of how our mammalian brain is wired to use loving contact to manage the fears and pains of daily life. The study reveals that the brain infused with a sense of connection and love is more serene and less overwhelmed by peril, within children as well as adults. Reflecting years of collaborative effort, this fascinating study speaks to:
- The power of loving contact to give us safety and comfort.
- The power of EFT couple interventions to create and shape a powerful antidote to fear.
- How our brains are wired to use connection with others to help us cope with threat and uncertainty.
Carolina EFT member David Von Kohorn writes:
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps address the core questions we often ask ourselves about our most important relationship: “Do I matter deeply to my partner? Will he/she be there for me when I need them most? Do I feel safe and secure enough in this relationship to be my full and authentic self?”
These questions are typically at the root of what couples fight about: the emotional bond and security in their relationship. When we fear that the answer to one of the above questions may be “no,” it can cause us to feel isolated and alone, and sometimes as though we are fighting for survival itself.
And fight we will. Or withdraw. EFT – a highly researched, effective, and evidence-based treatment – focuses on the emotional bond between partners, presuming that most relational problems arise from a disruption in this bond. It helps partners learn not only to be more open and trusting with each other, but also to reach out for one another more effectively.