Welcome to EFT Italia

EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) is a deeply transformative psychotherapeutic approach rooted in attachment science, recognized as the global Gold Standard by the APA for its strong scientific foundation.

The EFT Italia Community provides accredited training led by ICEEFT-certified trainers, ensuring international standards of excellence for therapists and safety for clients.

More about EFT

What is EFT

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a humanistic, empirically validated approach that is used to work with couples. It was developed by Sue Johnson. EFT is based on a clear conceptualization of marital distress and of adult love and attachment. This approach is supported and validated by more than 35 years of empirical research. Research studies show that 75% of couples undergoing Emotionally Focused Therapy transition from distress to full recovery and about 90% of them at least show significant improvement. Therefore, EFT is the most valid option for couples therapy and the evidence-based approach with the highest success rate.

Couples, Families, Individuals

Romantic relationships are sometimes the source of great stress and pain and, at the same time, of great comfort and happiness. And it’s in the most significant relationships that strong emotional reactions can be unleashed. EFT helps couples to learn to express and manage these feelings in a safe and positive way. The EFT model can be applied to a wide population, including couples, families, and individuals.

Universality

Our scientific and theoretical foundations are rooted in the key universal values – emotions and attachment – and are respectful of individual differences. In all facets of our work we strive to embody what we hope to see in the world — a just, loving humanity and community in which people are free to be themselves fully — where people can embrace their most basic universal human attachment needs without fear of persecution or marginalization as a result of religion, race, ethnic or national origin, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, class, mental health, physical character or ability. These values are inherent in the attachment science and humanistic approach to intervention that all our work is based on.

Practitioners

We are a group of highly qualified therapists dedicated to healing relationship with EFT and we are committed to developing a community of EFT physicians, psychologists, psychotherapists, and psychiatrists in Italy. Thanks to the EFT Northern Italy Center and the EFT Roma Center we provide professional support through high-quality training and supervision in a safe and supportive space.

You are welcome here!

Whether you are in a body that is gender non-binary, two-spirited, female, or male. Whether you are gay, lesbian, trans, pansexual, bi, queer or heterosexual. Whether your body seeks comfort and connection in religion or spirituality. Whether you are in a body that is indigenous, black, brown, Latin, Asian, or white. Whether you are in a body that has seen few or many years. Whatever limits your body has. Whatever context you have come from. You are welcome here!

We choose to create a safe learning space.
We invite you to bring your whole self, all of your humanity, without any fear of being discriminated against. We welcome you. We will share this space and learn from one another! You are invited to join us and grow with us!

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Sue Johnson on April 23, 2024. Dr. Johnson was a beloved teacher, therapist, author, and the pioneering innovator of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Her remarkable contributions have left an indelible mark on the field of therapy and the lives of countless individuals, couples, and families worldwide. She was also a cherished friend whose warmth and wisdom profoundly touched all who knew her.

“If you get to reach one another and hold one another while you are facing the dragons of life together, each dragon you’ll face will make your bond stronger with trust and love. Everyone can and deserves to have the loving and long-lasting relationships they are longing for”.

– Dr. Sue Johnson.

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a structured couple’s therapy approach formulated in the 80s and developed from the science of adult attachment and bonding in order to expand the understanding of what happens in couples’ relationships and guide therapists.
EFT interweaves the Theory of Emotions with Attachment Theory on the basis of the idea that emotions have a great potential and, by unleashing it, we can help patients change their negative emotional states and face affective relationships previously experienced as problematic and unsatisfactory. Over the last eighteen years, Doctor Sue Johnson and her colleagues have further developed and refined the model and have been carrying out numerous research studies. EFT is also used with families and individuals.
Currently, there is a substantial body of research explaining the effectiveness of EFT. According to it, 70-75% of couples transition from distress (often a serious distress) into total recovery and about 90% show at least significative improvement. For more information about research in EFT, please consult the Scientific Research section.
EFT is used with numerous and diverse types of couples in medical and psychotherapy private practices, university training institutes and hospital clinics. It is used with a wide range of diverse cultural groups across the world. Its effectiveness was validated also for couples in which partners suffer from disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorders and chronic diseases.

“Love has the great capacity of helping to heal the devastating wounds that life sometimes inflicts on us. Love also improves our feeling of connection with the whole world. Loving responsivity is the foundation of a truly civil and compassionate society”.

– Dr. Sue Johnson, Hold Me Tight.