ABSTRACT
Emotionally focused marital therapy (EFT), a marital therapy that particularly focuses on the creation of secure attachment, has proven in empirical studies to be effective for distressed couples. This paper discusses the application of EFT in couples where one or both of the partners have experienced significant trauma. EFT, in this context of trauma, incorporates the nine steps of conventional EFT and also encompasses the three stages of the "constructivist" self development theory of trauma treatment. This paper illustrates how the integration of EFT and trauma treatment can prove effective in treating not only relationship distress but also the individual symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Subject(s)
Affect , Interpersonal Relations , Marital Therapy , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/psychology , Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/therapy , Female , Humans , Male , Object AttachmentABSTRACT
Parallels between the experience of living with a psychotic illness and that of PTSD as a response to combat stress are explored, and similarities with respect to a loss of a sense of self are examined. Therapeutic implications of the possible connection between the two disorders are delineated in terms of a three-stage psychosocial recovery model.
