Critical Incidents that Help and Hinder Learning Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples

Abstract

The study's purpose was to identify and categorize the factors that helped or hindered therapists' ability to learn and implement Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples. Fourteen therapists were interviewed using the Critical Incident Technique and asked to describe experiences that had helped or hindered their learning process. A total of 532 critical incidents were documented, which were sorted into 10 “helpful” and 8 “hindering” categories. Among the helpful factors were exposure to and discussion of EFT concepts, the use of an online listserv, and personal “fit” with model. Hindering factors included therapist anxiety about implementing EFT effectively, countertransference reactions, and the therapist's personal distractions and limitations. Implications of the results for training EFT therapists are discussed.

Key Words:

• Therapist training
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples
• critical incident