Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) in Ottawa & Westboro
Virtually Across Ontario
When you feel disconnected from your partner, stuck in the same arguments, or unable to reach each other emotionally, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) offers a way back to connection. EFT helps you understand the emotional patterns driving conflict in your relationship and teaches you how to respond to each other’s needs with greater empathy and security. It’s about creating a stronger emotional bond that can weather life’s challenges.
Our Registered Psychotherapists at Therapy with Empathy bring EFT to clients in Ottawa’s Westboro neighborhood and across Ontario through virtual sessions. We help couples identify the cycles keeping them stuck, access deeper emotions beneath surface conflicts, and rebuild trust and intimacy in their relationship.
EFT was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Dr. Sue Johnson, who recognized that relationship distress often stems from unmet attachment needs rather than incompatibility or communication failures. Drawing on attachment theory, she discovered that when couples feel emotionally safe with each other, they can navigate differences and repair ruptures (conflicts) more effectively. EFT has since become one of the most researched and effective approaches for couples therapy.
Unlike traditional couples therapy that focuses primarily on communication skills or conflict resolution techniques, EFT goes deeper to address the emotional bond between partners. You’ll explore the underlying fears and needs that trigger negative cycles – like the pursue-withdraw pattern where one partner seeks connection while the other pulls away. EFT helps both partners understand what’s really happening beneath the arguments.
What sets EFT apart is its focus on creating secure emotional attachment. Sessions involve slowing down conflicts to identify the emotions driving them, helping partners express vulnerable feelings safely, and reshaping interactions so both people feel heard and valued. This process doesn’t just resolve current conflicts – it fundamentally changes how you relate to each other, building resilience for future challenges.
Who Is EFT For?
EFT can be particularly helpful if you:
- Feel stuck in repetitive arguments that never seem to resolve
- Notice one partner pursuing connection while the other withdraws
- Struggle to feel emotionally close even when you’re getting along
- Want to rebuild trust after infidelity or betrayal
- Feel criticized, dismissed, or misunderstood by your partner
- Have difficulty expressing vulnerable emotions or needs
- Notice defensiveness or shutting down during conflicts
- Want to strengthen your relationship rather than just manage problems
- Are navigating major life transitions that strain your connection
Ready to Rebuild Emotional Connection?
Book your free 15-minute consultation to explore whether EFT fits your needs. We’ll discuss your relationship challenges, explain how EFT might help, and answer any questions about getting started.
Therapy with Empathy
Westboro, Ottawa | Virtual across Ontario
Bilingual services available (English/French)