The Attachment Frame is the Thing: Emotion-Focused Family Therapy in Adolescence

Abstract

The current article discusses emotion-focused family therapy (EFFT) with families where adolescents are struggling with symptomatic behaviors. EFFT conceptualizes symptomatic behaviors in a nonpathologizing, developmental framework that focuses on the parent-child bond. The article describes the process of change in EFFT and presents a case study to demonstrate the efficacy of EFFT as a therapeutic intervention. The article also discusses the challenges that the beginning EFFT therapist may encounter, as well as the strengths of EFFT that enable its effective implementation, nonetheless.

KEYWORDS:

• emotion-focused therapy
• family therapy
• adolescent development

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Susan M. Johnson, EdD, for her helpful comments on an earlier version of this article.