About emotionally-focused therapy (eft)
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is an attachment-informed approach that helps you explore and reshape emotional responses that influence relationships and personal well-being. Below you can browse therapists who list EFT among their approaches to learn more about practitioners who emphasize emotion-focused work.
What to compare in entries
| Credentials | A US state licence, or membership of a professional body such as BACP or NCPS. They are different kinds of thing; each profile shows what was supplied. |
|---|---|
| Focus | Whether emotionally-focused therapy (eft) is listed as a main focus or among the wider list of areas. Entries show both. |
| Way of working | The approaches named on the entry. Two people working with the same concern can describe very different sessions. |
| Time in practice | Years in practice, as supplied. A fact to weigh, not a ranking. |
| Language | The languages sessions can be held in, where that matters to you. |
Common questions
How were these entries chosen?
Everyone listed on this page names Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) among the approaches they told the platform they use. They are not ranked, rated or endorsed by this directory, and the order is not a recommendation.
Do I need a referral to start?
No. You can contact a therapist through their entry directly. A GP referral is not required for independent online therapy.
What if the first therapist is not right?
Changing therapist is normal and expected, and can be done at any point. One session is a small sample of how someone works.
Entries for emotionally-focused therapy (eft)
Savithri (Savi) Jayaweera, NCPS
Ref 151058
Compassionate counsellor for complex life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Hindi, Sinhala
View listingTomasz Konieczny, BACP, NCPS
Ref 199992
Practical, compassionate online counselling
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Anger Languages: English, Polish
View listingMargaret Johnston, LMHC
Ref 62092
Calm listening that helps you move forward
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingDavid Potts, LCSW
Ref 23255
Practical, compassionate therapy for life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingRichard Gordon-Smith , NCPS
Ref 120083
Straightforward, experienced counsellor for complex issues
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Parenting Languages: English
View listingAnnette OBryant, LPC
Ref 77726
Compassionate counselor focused on practical change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Parenting Languages: English
View listingDanielle Horn, LMSW
Ref 272733
Focused therapy that digs to the root
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingJemma Heath, NCPS
Ref 197911
Support for stress, relationships and confidence
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingWellington Cesar Assis Bueno, BACP
Ref 226813
Healing emotions, building clearer choices
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Portuguese
View listingJennifer Lee Sylvester, LCSW
Ref 116075
Experienced LCSW offering respectful, practical care
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingSara Lowe, LPC
Ref 104527
Practical, compassionate therapy for life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Self esteem, Depression Languages: English
View listingFrank Centonze, LPC
Ref 297421
Direct, practical counseling for emotional recovery
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingFaryal Choudry, LCSW
Ref 266995
Compassionate guidance for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingCecile Terrelonge, BACP
Ref 134582
Person-centred counsellor offering practical support
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Family Languages: English
View listingRev. Catherine Bogue, LCSW
Ref 168255
Compassionate guidance for life’s hard changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingAngela Jakovac, AHPRA
Ref 241706
Practical, experienced counsellor for everyday challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Self esteem Languages: English, Croatian
View listingColette Mattos, BACP
Ref 138095
Relationship and self-esteem focused counsellor
Works with: Relationship, Family, Parenting Languages: English
View listingPaul Bryan, LPC
Ref 175985
Compassionate counselor guiding steady change
Works with: Family, Self esteem, Career Languages: English
View listingKelley Sullivan, LCSW
Ref 526
Compassionate, practical therapy for real life struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, Spanish
View listingDr. Robert Hunt, LPC
Ref 187307
Experienced therapist for life changes and emotion work
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingPatrick Gribel, LMHC
Ref 348422
Therapist focused on depth and steady change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Self esteem Languages: English, Portuguese
View listingJamie Finkelstein, LPC
Ref 16744
Compassionate counselor for practical change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingLesley Schmaltz, LCSW
Ref 95757
Calm, collaborative therapy with an experienced LCSW
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingChase Carter, LCSW
Ref 330670
Skilled LCSW focused on relationships and recovery
Works with: Addictions, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingFarah Southwell, LPC
Ref 203059
Practical, experienced therapist for life’s hard moments
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English, Haitian Creole
View listingNeha Kapoor, PACFA
Ref 212378
Compassionate counselling for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingPeter Bramhill, BACP
Ref 236747
Practical, compassionate counselling for life’s challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingRosalind Oliver, BACP
Ref 232595
Gentle practical therapy for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Trauma and abuse Languages: English, German
View listingJatindar Bhogal, BACP
Ref 116956
Calm, experienced support for everyday struggles
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English, Punjabi
View listingAvril Harding, BACP
Ref 197916
Practical support for stress, anxiety and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingErin Allison, LCSW
Ref 349898
Compassionate LCSW offering practical, skill-based support
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingDr. Betsy Puentes, LMFT, LPC
Ref 212361
Calm guidance for lifes tough moments
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Self esteem, Career Languages: English
View listingKimberley Roberts, LCSW, CSW
Ref 103862
Practical support for stress and relationships
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Family Languages: English
View listingJai Pitre, LCSW, CSW
Ref 144830
Practical therapy grounded in client strengths
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingJustin Andrews, BACP
Ref 225375
Practical counselling with mindfulness insight
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Grief Languages: English
View listingDr. & Mrs. Joy Rodriguez, LCSW
Ref 161011
Compassionate, practical therapy for real-life stressors
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship Languages: English
View listingWilliam Signey, BACP
Ref 113870
Practical, person-focused counselling for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingAmanda Eidemiller, LMSW
Ref 218701
Supportive therapist focused on practical change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingLaTisha Honor, LCSW
Ref 207588
Compassionate LCSW helping heal relationships and self-worth
Works with: Relationship, Trauma and abuse, Intimacy-related issues Languages: English
View listingCora Benedict, LMFT
Ref 143297
Compassionate practical therapy for life challenges
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Grief Languages: English
View listingHalima Butt, BACP
Ref 204216
Practical, respectful support for personal change
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Family, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingGarrick Lawton, LPC
Ref 180839
Helping people build clearer coping skills
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingFemi Carty, BACP
Ref 141339
Compassionate integrative counsellor for life changes
Works with: Relationship, Grief, Parenting Languages: English
View listingJanice Withrow, LPC
Ref 23375
Practical therapy for relationship and mood challenges
Works with: Relationship, Family, Trauma and abuse Languages: English
View listingRobyn Freeman, ACA
Ref 302078
Compassionate counsellor for stress and life transitions
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Grief, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingLisa Russo, PACFA
Ref 231484
Compassionate counsellor for women
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingTina Resneck, LMHC
Ref 205499
Experienced, practical, compassionate mental health counseling
Works with: LGBT, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingJaqui Lamb, BACP
Ref 149631
Compassionate therapist for life changes
Works with: Stress, Anxiety, Trauma and abuse, Self esteem Languages: English
View listingMore about emotionally-focused therapy (eft)
What Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) Is and the Principles Behind It
Emotionally-Focused Therapy, often shortened to EFT, is a therapeutic approach built on the idea that emotions are key to understanding patterns of connection and distress. Originating from research into adult attachment and emotion science, EFT sees emotional reactions as adaptive signals that, when understood and engaged with, can guide change in how you relate to yourself and others. The method emphasizes identifying underlying feelings, exploring their origins in attachment needs, and helping you access and reshape emotional responses that may no longer serve you.
The work in EFT centers on creating new emotional experiences in the therapy relationship that can alter entrenched interactional cycles. This typically involves tracking moment-to-moment emotional experience, naming and validating feelings, and helping you access more primary emotions that carry relational meaning. Therapists who use EFT aim to foster emotional regulation, increase awareness of core needs, and encourage new patterns of interaction that enhance connection and personal resilience.
What Types of Issues EFT Is Commonly Used For
EFT is applied to a wide range of concerns where emotions and attachment patterns play a significant role. Many people seek this approach for relationship difficulties, including persistent cycles of conflict, emotional distance, or problems rebuilding trust after a rupture. Couples work is a well-known application of EFT, though individuals, families, and some group formats also use its principles to address relational dynamics.
Beyond relationship-focused work, EFT is often used for challenges that involve strong emotional patterns, such as grief, trauma reactions, anxiety, and depression. In these situations, the method helps you explore how emotional responses are linked to meaningful needs and memories, and then develop more adaptive ways of responding. The emphasis on creating corrective emotional experiences can be helpful when past relational wounds continue to shape present behavior and mood.
What a Typical EFT Session Looks Like
If you attend EFT sessions, you can expect a focus on emotional experience in the present moment and on interactional patterns that maintain difficulties. Early sessions usually involve assessment and mapping - the therapist helps you identify repeated sequences of interaction or recurring emotional responses, and you work together to pinpoint moments where emotions shift. This shared mapping gives you a language to describe what happens between you and others or within your inner life.
In-session work often moves between exploring emotions as they arise and experimenting with new ways of responding. The therapist may encourage you to slow down and name bodily sensations and feelings, to access underlying needs, and to express these in ways that invite a different response from others. When working with couples, sessions might focus on moments of interaction, guiding you to articulate fears and needs rather than defensive positions. The therapeutic relationship itself is used as a live arena to try out new emotional responses and to receive a different kind of attunement than you may be used to.
How EFT Differs from Other Common Approaches
EFT is distinct in its specific focus on emotion and attachment as levers for change. Compared with cognitive approaches that prioritize altering thoughts and beliefs, EFT pays more attention to the felt sense of emotion and the relational meaning emotions convey. Where behavioral methods might emphasize skills training and exposure, EFT emphasizes accessing and transforming core emotional experiences to shift patterns at their source.
Compared with psychodynamic therapies that explore historical relationships and unconscious processes over long timelines, EFT tends to be more present-centered and experiential; the therapist guides you to engage with emotions in the moment to create corrective experiences. Family systems approaches share EFTs interest in relational patterns, but EFT uniquely foregrounds emotion as the mechanism of change and uses emotion-focused interventions to reorganize patterns of interaction and attachment responses.
Who Is a Good Candidate for EFT and What to Expect from the Process
You might consider EFT if you notice persistent emotional patterns that affect your relationships or sense of self - for example, repeated cycles of withdrawal and pursuit, overwhelming fears of rejection, or recurring emotional numbness. EFT is suited to people who are willing to explore uncomfortable feelings, to slow down in sessions, and to experiment with expressing needs or vulnerability in new ways. Those seeking work on grief, relational trauma, or chronic anxiety and low mood often find the approach helpful because it prioritizes emotional processing rather than only symptom reduction.
That said, EFT is not a single fit for everyone. If you prefer highly solution-focused sessions or want only immediate behavioral strategies, you may find parts of EFT that feel slower or more exploratory. The approach often involves revisiting painful feelings to access deeper needs and to reorganize relational responses; this can feel intense at times but is aimed at producing change in patterns that have been longstanding.
How to Find the Right Therapist Who Uses EFT
When searching for a therapist who works with EFT, look for professionals who list Emotionally-Focused Therapy among their approaches and who describe how they integrate emotion-focused methods into their practice. You can read practitioner bios to learn about their focus areas - such as couples work, trauma-informed care, grief, or mood disorders - and match those with the issues you want to address. Pay attention to the therapist's stated experience with the populations you identify with, the languages they offer, and the kinds of settings they describe.
In addition to approach and focus areas, consider the interpersonal fit you want in therapy. Look for descriptions that convey the therapist's orientation to emotion - whether they emphasize experiential work, attachment-based exploration, or an integrative style that adapts EFT principles to individual needs. It can be helpful to review how they describe goals in therapy and the ways they measure progress so you have a sense of what a working relationship might look like.
Finally, preparing a few questions before you reach out can make it easier to determine fit. You might ask how they typically structure sessions when using EFT, how they balance exploring emotion with practical coping strategies, or how they approach working with your particular concern. While this page helps you narrow options by approach and focus, the personal match between you and a therapist often plays a significant role in successful therapy outcomes.
Making the First Step
Starting therapy can feel daunting, but knowing what EFT emphasizes - emotion, attachment, and present-moment experience - helps you aim for a therapist whose approach aligns with your goals. Use the listings to compare approaches, focus areas, languages, and professional backgrounds, and look for descriptions that resonate with your needs. Taking the time to explore options can lead you to a practitioner who supports the kind of emotional work you are seeking.