There are many different counseling methods that psychologists, doctors, and counselors use today. Many patients require specific treatment to heal mentally or emotionally. Thanks to these different treatments, patients can get the specialized sessions they need. One of the forms of counseling is emotional counseling, sometimes call emotionally focused therapy. There are many types of emotionally focused therapy (EFT) that exist for different patient needs. In this blog post, we explain what emotional counseling is, when it’s used, and the different phases of emotional counseling.
What is Emotional Counseling?
Emotional counseling is a treatment method for patients who need help healing emotionally. Unfortunately, many people experience emotional trauma throughout their life. When someone suffers from emotional trauma, it is very difficult to heal. Emotional trauma, just like physical trauma, can leave deep scars for a lifetime. However, you can heal from both emotional and physical trauma with the help of a professional. When it comes to emotional trauma, emotional counseling is the best way to healthily recover. There are many forms of emotional counseling, and some will be more effective than others depending on their trauma and the patient’s preferences.
When is Emotional Counseling Used?
Emotional counseling is typically used when someone cannot get past a negative situation. Other methods of therapy are beneficial for talking through feelings and current situations. Standard counseling sessions are helpful for creating new habits and coping with mood disorders. However, emotional counseling is best for healing from past trauma. This trauma could be:
- Childhood emotional abuse or neglect
- Emotionally abusive relationships
- Improper coping from emotional hardships
- Attachment or bonding issues
- No sense of belonging or deep emotions
- Emotional intimacy issues
- Abandonment or betrayal
There may be more reasons a counselor or doctor recommends doing emotionally focused therapy. Additionally, some counselors will recommend doing emotional counseling with your significant other. At the end of the day, a patient will benefit from emotionally focused therapy if they have any emotional issues. EFT is a great way to help patients learn to process their emotions and allow themselves to feel again. Additionally, EFT is usually very short, lasting as little as eight sessions. So, it is effective in helping people heal quickly.
Phases in Emotionally Focused Therapy
There are three phases with emotionally focused therapy. These phases can vary in length of time, depending on the patient’s progress. So, your particular situation may require more or fewer counseling sessions than other patients. But, the three phases many patients go through in their emotional counseling treatment are:
1. Assess and Deescalate Phase
In the first phase, the counselor or therapist will help the patient uncover their underlying emotional trauma. This is to identify the root cause of the emotional issues that brought the patient in for treatment in the first place. The counselor will also help the patient see how their emotional trauma affects their problem solving and everyday behavior. This is to help deescalate the effects of the emotional trauma.
2. Change Events Phase
Once the patient and counselor assess what caused the emotional trauma, and how it changes their behaviors, it’s time to change those behaviors. The counselor and patient work together to create new habits and change the patient’s reactions. They learn how to regulate their behaviors rather than reacting emotionally. This helps them effectively cope with emotional situations and stress.
3. Consolidation of Change Phase
Once the patient starts to show improvement in their emotional reactions and processing, they come up with an action plan. Action plans truly depend on the patient and the therapist treating them. It could be journaling how they truly feel about their life, specific situation, relationship, etc. Or, it could be them coming into therapy once a month to check-in. A lot of the plan will depend on the patient’s schedule and progress in therapy. But, the actionable plan will lead the patient to success as they heal from their emotional trauma.
Your therapist may want to add new stages to your emotional therapy plan, or they may want to remove some. Depending on your self-awareness and severity of the trauma, you may see great results after just a few sessions. On the other hand, if you have been dealing with emotional trauma your whole life, it may take up to 20 sessions. EFT shouldn’t be rushed, though. It’s important you take your time in therapy to heal emotionally. Taking your time will have lasting benefits.
If you are ready to start emotionally focused therapy in Pace, Florida, or Northwest Florida in general, contact us today! Our team of doctors would like to help you heal through emotional counseling. We are open and accepting new patients now, so contact us whenever you’re ready.
