What Is Emotion Focused Therapy And How Does It Help
Emotion Focused Therapy is a therapeutic approach, which aims to reduce the symptoms of several psychological conditions. It is based on the premise that our emotions are the key to our identity. As per Emotion Focused Therapy(EFT), emotions also play a crucial role in an individual's choice and decision making. Lacking emotional awareness or not confronting unpleasant emotions negatively affect mental health. It may stop us from using the essential information our emotions provide. Qualified professionals can provide help to people who are looking for assistance with various types of concerns. Here, a therapist aims to make people more aware of their emotions. EFT also enables people to make better use of information that comes through adaptive emotions. Eventually, people become better at handling negative emotions and can decrease its effects on mental health. If you are living in Ottawa, You can look for clinics that offer Emotion Focused Therapy in Ottawa[https://ocpsychotherapycentre.com/our-services/]. You can check the online reviews and ratings of the previous patient and determine whether the clinic is right for you.
Emotion-Focused Therapy Theory: Therapy requires the active involvement of both the therapist and the person taking therapy. Both the parties’ contribution is equally essential for progressing towards positive results. However, it is the patient, and not the therapist, who is seen as the most capable of presenting and interpreting the emotions. The therapy is based on the idea that emotions should be used for guiding the patient towards a meaningful life. The theory of Emotion Focused Therapy is based on a scientific inquiry into the emotional experiences. Studies on human emotions offer information on: ●
What triggers the emotions
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How vital emotions are in day to day functionality of human life
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The connection between emotions, behaviour, and thoughts
The core concept of Emotion Focused Therapy is emotion schemes. The concept is largely based on the theories of human emotions. It gives insights on how emotions can ●
Influence thinking
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Guide present and future actions
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Be experienced physically
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Cause psychological changes
The therapy helps people accepting and changing their individual emotion scheme.
Techniques Used In Emotion-Focused Therapy: We can measure the development of the process with two critical skills: 1. Reaching the point where an individual has a better awareness of emotions and is ready to accept. 2. Learning how the emotions affect their behaviour and how to transform them and make better use of the information received from the emotions.
A therapist practising the method has non-judgemental, understanding, and reflective approach towards the patient, which involves listening attentively and asking questions. It helps the person taking therapy to understand their emotions in a better way. Several effective therapeutic techniques can be used. These new techniques are also known as emotion coaching, which enables people to guide their actions with healthy emotions. These techniques also allow people to accept negative emotions and move on from them.
What to expect from each therapy session: ●
Increased emotional awareness
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Knowledge of welcoming emotions and how to regulate them
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Learning how to describe emotions with clarity and in detail
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Learning about the multiple layers of emotions
In the second phase of the treatment, the therapist focuses on leaving with the following goals in mind: ●
Evaluating the effectiveness of the emotions in various situations
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Learning how to use positive emotions to guide actions
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Finding the real source of emotions that is unhelpful
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Learning how to alter these unhelpful emotions
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Developing reliable ways for coping with situations that can trigger negative emotions
The success of the treatment is generally based on how the person has developed an increased awareness of their emotional experience.
How Does Therapy Help?
People tend to worsen several issues by attempting to control their emotions in the wrong ways, and then they have to rely on therapy. For example, a person suffering from depression may spend most of the time, avoiding the situations that bring negative change to the mood. An individual experiencing anxiety often feel weak by involved continuously in the attempts of reducing fear and worry. Though EFT was first used in treating depression, it has now expanded and can address several issues like: ●
Anxiety
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Interpersonal issues
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Eating disorder
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Borderline personality
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Childhood abuse or neglect
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Depression
It has also been found to be effective in many cases for helping couples in distress.
Summary: Emotion Focused Therapy helps people to see their emotions as a valuable source of information, the information that can lead them to live a healthy and mindful life. The same emotions can also be used to deal with difficult and painful situations in life. Learning and embracing the emotions are far better than suppressing them. Our emotions have a direct connection to our mental wellbeing, and so EFT is also helpful in treating several psychological issues. If you are looking forward to taking Emotion Focused Therapy in Ottawa, you should look for a reputed clinic or an experienced therapist to get the best results.