Therapeutic approach
EFTEmotion-Focused & Experiential Therapy
Works with emotions and the body as a guide to healing, including emotion focused therapy (EFT) and somatic approaches.
Key information you should know
- Works with emotions and the body, including emotion focused therapy (EFT) and somatic approaches.
- Treats feelings and bodily experience as central to healing and change.
- Often used for trauma, attachment difficulties, and relationship concerns.
Emotion-focused and experiential therapies treat emotions and bodily experience as important sources of information and change. Succoris psychologists may use Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), somatic approaches, or both.
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) helps you access, understand, and work with emotions, especially in relationships and attachment. You learn to engage with feelings in ways that support healing, not only analyse them intellectually.
Somatic therapy integrates body awareness and nervous system regulation. Attention to sensation, tension, and activation can help when distress is held in the body as well as in thoughts.
These methods are often used for trauma, attachment difficulties, and relationship concerns. Your clinician will discuss what fits your goals.
Commonly helps with
Trauma
Trauma-informed therapy for single-incident trauma, complex trauma, and PTSD — working at your pace in a safe environment.
Complex Trauma and cPTSD
Specialised, trauma-informed therapy for complex trauma and cPTSD — including EMDR, Schema Therapy, and Internal Family Systems.
Relationship Issues
Individual and couple therapy to navigate relationship difficulties — communication, connection, conflict, and separation.
Attachment Issues
Therapy for attachment patterns that get in the way of safe, lasting connection — drawing on Schema Therapy, EMDR, and attachment-focused work.
Psychologists who use this approach
3 Succoris clinicians draw on EFT in their practice.
Accepting new clientsBook with BandaiBandai Choi
Clinical Psychologist
Bandai supports individuals across the lifespan with a thoughtful and empathetic approach. He works collaboratively with clients to address complex challenges, tailoring therapy to each person's unique needs.
Works from Succoris Sunbury
Grace Crowley
Clinical Psychologist & Assessment Liaison
Gracie is a clinically endorsed and AHPRA-registered Clinical Psychologist. She works with clients across the lifespan (ages 8 and above) with a strong passion for supporting people who have experienced complex trauma.
Works from Succoris Bendigo
Sophie Lord
Clinical Psychologist
Sophie provides warm, thoughtful therapy for children, adolescents and adults via telehealth. She is culturally aware, inclusive, and brings genuine curiosity to each person's story.
2 clinics
Common questions about EFT
What is emotion-focused and experiential therapy?
Emotion-focused and experiential therapies treat emotions and bodily experience as important sources of information and change. Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) helps you access, understand, and work with emotions, especially in relationships and attachment. Somatic approaches integrate body awareness and nervous system regulation. Succoris psychologists may use EFT, somatic methods, or both, depending on your goals.
How do I know if emotion-focused therapy is right for me?
This approach may suit you if emotions feel blocked, overwhelming, or hard to name, or if distress seems held in the body as well as in thoughts. It is often helpful for trauma, attachment difficulties, and relationship concerns. If you tend to intellectualise feelings or feel disconnected from your body, experiential work can open a different path. Your psychologist will discuss whether this fits your presentation.
What happens in an emotion-focused therapy session?
Sessions are experiential rather than purely conversational. You might explore emotions as they arise in the room, use guided imagery, or notice bodily sensations linked to feelings. In relationship-focused EFT, partners learn to express underlying emotions and respond to each other differently. The pace is collaborative, and you stay in control of how deep the work goes. Sessions are typically around 50 minutes.
Can I access emotion-focused therapy through Medicare at Succoris?
Yes. No referral is required to book with Succoris. With a GP Mental Health Treatment Plan you may be eligible for Medicare rebates on individual sessions. Psychologists who use emotion-focused and experiential approaches are available in person and by telehealth. Contact us and we can match you with a clinician whose approach fits what you are working on.
What is the difference between emotion-focused therapy and CBT?
CBT focuses on the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours, often with structured exercises to change unhelpful patterns. Emotion-focused therapy works directly with emotions as they arise, helping you access, understand, and transform them, often in the therapeutic relationship itself. CBT tends to be more structured and homework-based; EFT is more experiential. Many psychologists draw on both, depending on what you need.
Unsure which approach is right for you?
Our team will help you find a psychologist and approach that fits your situation. You can browse clinicians who use EFT, book online, or contact us for a confidential discussion.