Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy: A Systematic Review of Its Effectiveness over the past 19 Years

References

• Ahmadi, F.S., Zarei, E. & Fallahchai, S.R. (2014). The effectiveness of Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy in resolution of marital conflicts between the couples who visited the consultation centers. Journal of Education and Management Studies, 4, 118–123.
   Google Scholar
• Ancha, A. J. (2004). Program evaluation of a time-limited, abuse-focused treatment for child and adolescent sexual abuse victims and their families. Dissertation Abstracts International, 64, 5770.
   Google Scholar
• Barati, T., & Sanai, B. (1996). Marital Conflict Questionnaire. In B. Sanai, S. Falahati, & A. Houman (Eds.), Family and marriage scales (pp. 9). Tehran, Iran: Besat Publications.
   Google Scholar
• Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss. New York, NY: Basic Books.
   Google Scholar
• Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base. New York, NY: Basic Books.
   Google Scholar
• Busby, D. M., Crane, D. R., Larson, J. H., & Christensen, C. (1995). A revision of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale for use with distressed and nondistressed couples: Construct hierarchy and multidimensional scales. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 21, 289–308. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.1995.tb00163.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Campbell Collaboration. (2014). Campbell systematic reviews: Policies and guidelines. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 1 doi:10.4073/csrs.2014.1
   Google Scholar
• Cloutier, P. F., Manion, I. G., Walker, J. G., & Johnson, S. M. (2002). Emotionally focused interventions for couples with chronically ill children: A 2-year follow-up. Journal of Marital & Family Therapy, 28, 391–398. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2002.tb00364.x
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed. ed.). New York, NY: Academic Press.
   Google Scholar
• Compare, A., & Tasca, G. A. (2016). The rate and shape of change in binge eating episodes and weight: An effectiveness trial of emotionally focused group therapy for binge‐eating disorder. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 23, 24–34. doi:10.1002/cpp.1932
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Dalton, E. J., Classen, C. C., Greenman, P. S., & Johnson, S. M. (2013). Nurturing connections in the aftermath of childhood trauma: A randomized controlled trial of emotionally focused couple therapy for female survivors of childhood abuse. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 2, 209–221. doi:10.1037/a0032772
   Google Scholar
• Denton, W. H. (2001). SHARE study treatment manual. Unpublished manuscript, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
   Google Scholar
• Denton, W. H., Wittenborn, A. K., & Golden, R. N. (2012). Augmenting antidepressant medication treatment of depressed women with emotionally focused therapy for couples: A randomized pilot study. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38, 23–38. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.2012.00291.x
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Dessaulles, A. (1992). The treatment of clinical depression in the context of marital distress. Dissertation Abstracts International, 53, 1605.
   Google Scholar
• Dessaulles, A., Johnson, S. M., & Denton, W. H. (2003). Emotion-focused therapy for couples in the treatment of depression: A pilot study. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 31, 345–353. doi:10.1080/01926180390232266
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Dunn, R. L., & Schwebel, A. I. (1995). Meta-Analytic review of marital therapy outcome research. Journal of Family Psychology, 9, 58–68. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.9.1.58
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Friedman, M. (1937). The use of ranks to avoid the assumption of normality implicit in the analysis of variance. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 32, 675–701. doi:10.1080/01621459.1937.10503522
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Gordon-Walker, J., Johlison, S., Manion, L., & Cloutier, P. (1996). Emotionally focused marital interventions for couples with chronically ill children. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 1029–1036.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Gottman, J. (1991). Predicting the longitudinal course of marriages. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 17, 3–7. doi:10.1111/j.1752-0606.1991.tb00856.x
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Gottman, J., & Levenson, R. W. (1986). Assessing the role of emotion in marriage. Behavioral Assessment, 8, 31–48.
   Google Scholar
• Greenberg, L. S., & Johnson, S. M. (1988). Emotionally focused therapy for couples. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
   Google Scholar
• Harley, D. A., & Stansbury, K. L. (2011). Diversity counseling with African Americans. In E. Mpofu (Ed.), Counseling people of African ancestry (pp. 193–208). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Hedges, L. V. (1981). Fitting categorical models to effect sizes from a series of experiments. Journal of Educational Statistics, 7, 119–137. doi:10.3102/10769986007002119
   Google Scholar
• Heyman, R. E., Sayers, S. L., & Bellack, A. S. (1994). Global marital satisfaction versus marital adjustment: An empirical comparison of three measures. Journal of Family Psychology, 8, 432–446. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.8.4.432
   Google Scholar
• Johnson, D. R., White, L. K., Edwards, J. N., & Booth, A. (1986). Dimensions of marital quality: Toward methodological and conceptual refinement. Journal of Family Issues, 7, 31–49. doi:10.1177/019251386007001003
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Johnson, S. M. (2004). The practice of emotionally focused marital therapy: Creating connection. New York, NY: Brunner-Routledge.
   Google Scholar
• Johnson, S. M. (2008). Hold me tight: Seven conversations for a lifetime of love. New York, NY: Little Brown & Co.
   Google Scholar
• Johnson, S. M., Hunsley, J., Greenberg, L., & Schindler, D. (1999). Emotionally focused couples therapy: Status and challenges. Clinical Psychology: Science And Practice, 6, 67–79.
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Keikhayfarzaneh, J. K., Shahriari, N., Ghorbanshiroudi, S., Sourizaei, M., & Keikhayfarzaneh, R. (2011). The investigation of the effectiveness of the solution-oriented counseling in reduction of the marital conflicts of two-career couples. Journal of Basic Applied Science Research, (2011, 3309–3315.
   Google Scholar
• Lebow, J. L. (2014). Couple and Family Therapy: An integrative map of the territory. Washington, DC: APA.
   Google Scholar
• Lipsey, M. W., & Wilson, D. B. (2001). Practical meta-analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
   Google Scholar
• MacLeod, R., & Elliott, R. (2012). Emotion-focused therapy for social anxiety: A hermeneutic single case efficacy design study of a low-outcome case. Counselling Psychology Review, 27, 7–22.
   Google Scholar
• Maier, C. A. (2015). Feminist-informed emotionally focused couples therapy as treatment for eating disorders. American Journal of Family Therapy, 43, 151–162. doi:10.1080/01926187.2014.956620
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• McLean, L. M., Walton, T., Rodin, G., Esplen, M., & Jones, J. M. (2011). A couple based intervention for patients and caregivers facing end-stage cancer: Outcomes of a randomized control trial. Psycho-Oncology, 22, 28–38. doi:10.1002/pon.2046
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Minuchin, S., & Fishman, C. (1981). Family therapy techniques. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
   Google Scholar
• Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., & Altman, D. G. (2009). Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Medicine, 6(7), e1000097. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed1000097
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Montesino, M. C., Gómez, J. G., Femántiez, M. P., & Rodríguez, J. A. (2013). Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Ajuste Diddico (DAS) en una muestra comunitaria de parejas. Psicothema, 25, 536–541. doi:10.7334/psicothema2013.85
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Naaman, S. C. (2009). Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of Emotionally Focused Therapy on psychological adjustment and Natural Killer Cell Cytotoxicity in early breast cancer. Dissertation Abstracts International, 69, 5044.
   Google Scholar
• Najafi, M., Soleimani, A. A., Ahmadi, K. H., Javidi, N., & Hoseini, K. E. (2015). The effectiveness of Emotionally Focused Therapy on enhancing marital adjustment and quality of life among infertile couples with marital conflicts. International Journal of Fertility and Sterilization, 9, 238–246.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Norcross, J. C., Pfund, R. A., & Prochaska, J. O. (2013). Psychotherapy in 2022: A Delphi poll on its future. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 44, 363–370. doi:10.1037/a0034633
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Norton, R. (1983). Measuring marital quality: A critical look at the dependent variable. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 45, 141–151. doi:10.2307/351302
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Perls, F. (1973). The gestalt approach and eyewitness to therapy. San Francisco, CA: Science & Behavior Books.
   Google Scholar
• Robinson, A. L., Dolhanty, J., Stillar, A., Henderson, K., & Mayman, S. (2016). Emotion focused family therapy for eating disorders across the lifespan: A pilot study of a 2 day transdiagnostic intervention for parents. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 23, 14–23. doi:10.1002/cpp.1933
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Rogers, C. (1951). Client-centered therapy. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin.
   Google Scholar
• Schumm, W. R., Paffbergen, L. A., Hatch, R. C., Obiorah, F. C., Copeland, J. M., & Meens, L. D. (1986). Concurrent and discriminant validity of the Kansas Marital Satisfaction Scale. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 381–387. doi:10.2307/352405
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Soltani, M., Shairi, M. R., Roshan, R., & Rahimi, C. (2014). The impact of emotionally focused therapy on emotional distress in infertile couples. International Journal of Fertility and Sterility, 7, 337–344.
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Spanier, G. B. (1976). Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads. Journal of Marriage & Family, 38, 15–28. doi:10.2307/350547
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Stavrianopoulos, K. (2015). Enhancing relationship satisfaction among college student couples: An emotionally focused therapy (EFT) approach. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 14, 1–16. doi:10.1080/15332691.2014.953656
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Stavrianopoulos, K., Faller, G., & Furrow, J. (2014). Emotionally focused family therapy: Facilitating change within a family system. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 13, 25–43. doi:10.1080/15332691.2014.865976
   Google Scholar
• Walsh, S. B. (2002, September). Emotion-focused couples therapy as a treatment of somatoform disorders: An outcome study. Dissertation Abstracts International, 63, 1579.
   Google Scholar
• Whisman, M. A., & Uebelacker, L. A. (2006). Impairment and distress associated with relationship discord in a national sample of married or cohabiting adults. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 369–377. doi:10.1037/0893-3200.20.3.369
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wiebe, S. A., & Johnson, S. M. (2016). A review of the research in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples. Family Process, 55, 390–407. doi:10.1111/famp.12229
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wnuk, S. M., Greenberg, L., & Dolhanty, J. (2015). Emotion-focused group therapy for women with symptoms of bulimia nervosa. Eating Disorders: the Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 23, 253–261. doi:10.1080/10640266.2014.964612
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wood, N. D., Crane, D. R., Schaalje, G. B., & Law, D. D. (2005). What works for whom: A meta-analytic review of marital and couples therapy in reference to marital distress. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 33, 273–287. doi:10.1080/01926180590962147
   Web of Science ®Google Scholar