Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) in Chicago & Online

Rebuild Connection. Break the Cycle. Find Each Other Again.

Your life looks good on paper—career success, a home, maybe kids—but inside your relationship, you feel distant, stuck, or fragile. No matter how smart or accomplished you both are, conflict and disconnection can leave you feeling lonely, unseen, or like you’re walking on eggshells.

You’ve tried talking it out. You’ve tried ignoring it. Nothing seems to work for long. That’s where Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) comes in.

What Is EFT?

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a research-based model of couples therapy developed by Dr. Sue Johnson. Backed by decades of scientific studies, EFT helps couples identify the negative cycles that keep them disconnected and teaches them how to replace those patterns with new ways of reaching for and responding to each other.

Instead of just learning “communication skills,” EFT goes deeper—helping you:

  • Recognize the emotions driving your conflicts

  • Understand each other’s attachment needs and fears

  • Create safety to be vulnerable instead of defensive

  • Rebuild trust and intimacy, even after years of feeling stuck

Studies show that 70–75% of couples move from distress to recovery with EFT, and over 90% show significant improvement in connection and satisfaction.

Why Couples Choose EFT

Many of the couples I work with are high-functioning, educated, and motivated. From the outside, everything looks “successful.” But inside the relationship, they’re struggling with cycles like:

  • One partner feels lonely and unimportant, while the other feels like they can never get it right

  • Weekends filled with work or distractions instead of true connection

  • Arguments that escalate quickly or avoidance that leaves things unresolved

  • A sense of fragility: waiting for the next rupture instead of feeling secure together

EFT is especially effective for couples like you because it doesn’t just patch over surface problems—it gets to the root of the disconnection.

How EFT Works in Our Sessions

  1. Stage 1: De-Escalation

    We’ll identify your negative cycle (for example: criticism → withdrawal) and begin to reduce conflict.

  2. Stage 2: Restructuring Bond

    We’ll create new, vulnerable conversations where you can safely express needs and respond to each other with care.

  3. Stage 3: Consolidation

    We’ll reinforce these new patterns so your relationship feels stronger, more resilient, and ready for long-term growth.

Is EFT Right for You?

EFT can help if you and your partner want to:

  • Feel like a team again instead of adversaries

  • Stop repeating the same arguments over and over

  • Rebuild trust after disconnection or betrayal

  • Deepen intimacy and emotional safety

  • Strengthen your bond before life transitions (parenthood, relocation, career changes)

Next Steps

If you’re ready to move from disconnection to closeness, I’d love to help.

  • Couples therapy in Chicago (in-person or online for Illinois residents)

  • Online coaching for couples outside Illinois

Schedule a consultation today and take the first step toward rebuilding a secure, lasting bond.