Changing emotion with emotion in EFT

ABOUT THE EPISODE

What we cover

What does Emotion Focused Therapy add to work that already talks about emotion? Anna explains process markers, chairwork and the idea of changing emotion with emotion.

• Adaptive, maladaptive and secondary emotions
• Chairwork and process markers
• Integrating EFT with other approaches

How does EFT understand different kinds of emotion?

Emotion Focused Therapy distinguishes between adaptive, maladaptive and secondary emotional responses. The episode explores why a statement such as “I’m just angry” may not capture the whole emotional process taking place.

Rather than parachuting in with an answer, the therapist attends to the client’s process and looks for markers that suggest where the work might go next. This keeps emotion central while avoiding the assumption that every intense feeling needs the same intervention.

What can chairwork add to emotional processing?

Anna discusses chairwork as one way of making internal positions or parts more visible and workable. The conversation covers the practical structure of a chair task, what to consider when it goes off piste and how the work can connect with what happens between sessions.

EFT can also be integrated with approaches such as schema therapy or ACT. The method still needs to fit the client, the formulation and the therapist’s training rather than being introduced simply because an emotional moment has appeared.

Related listening: For another experiential conversation about what happens in the room, listen to Bringing Body Work Into the Room, covering bodily cues, consent and careful pacing.