Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) emphasizes understanding and processing emotions while recognizing the importance of the self and past relationships. It operates on the idea that many mental and physical health issues stem from avoiding emotions or unmet emotional needs. EFT helps individuals engage with unpleasant emotions as sources of insight rather than suppressing them.

EFT can be applied in individual, couples, or family formats. Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) was initially created for eating disorders but has since expanded to other areas. In EFFT, parents learn to be emotion and recovery coaches for their children, fostering a strong parent-child bond and addressing fears that may hinder support..