Restore connection and create secure relationships with Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Our expert approach helps distressed couples and families heal deeply.
Relationships can be wonderful, but they can also feel complicated and sometimes painful. At Upstream Counselling in Kitchener-Waterloo, our Emotionally Focused Therapy approach helps couples, families, and individuals understand their emotions, repair negative patterns, and build secure attachment bonds. Using evidence-based EFT principles and techniques, our trained EFT therapists guide clients through the change process, helping them respond to each other with empathy and care.
Whether through emotionally focused couple therapy, emotionally focused family therapy, or emotionally focused individual therapy, clients learn to see their interactions clearly and develop a sense of security. EFT helps couples and families identify negative interaction patterns, strengthen their emotional bond, and feel connected again. It’s a safe, supportive space to work through challenges, heal from relational stress, and discover the healing power of emotional connection.
Emotionally Focused Therapy is ideal for anyone wanting to improve their relationships, build trust, and feel more secure with loved ones. Our EFT practitioners, trained through the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) and grounded in the work of Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg, the pioneers who developed EFT, provide compassionate, collaborative, and evidence-based psychotherapy. Reach out today and take the first step toward healthier, more connected relationships.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) at Upstream Counselling helps couples, families, and individuals understand emotions, repair negative patterns, and build secure attachment bonds. Using an EFT approach grounded in attachment theory, our mental health professionals provide a therapeutic approach and guidance that focuses on the healing power of emotional connection.
Emotion-focused therapy helps clients notice their emotional responses and understand why they react the way they do. Using EFT techniques, couples and individuals manage negative interaction patterns, respond constructively, and strengthen the emotional bond for greater emotional balance.
Emotionally focused therapy for couples, couple and family therapy, and therapy for individuals help clients rebuild trust and reconnect emotionally. EFT focuses on emotions and secure attachment, helping couples learn to repair negative patterns and develop lasting emotional bonds grounded in adult love.
Using EFT, clients explore relational trauma, infidelity, or emotional pain in a safe, therapeutic space. The EFT model, developed by the EFT community and supported by ICEEFT membership, guides clients through a process that restores secure attachment and emphasizes the healing power of emotional connection.
EFT helps clients understand their interactions, triggers, and relational patterns. Emotionally focused therapists provide a collaborative and respectful approach to psychotherapy, helping couples and individuals grow in self-awareness and make healthier relational choices.
EFT provides couples and individuals with techniques to communicate needs effectively, manage conflict, and respond to negative interaction patterns. Therapy equips clients with skills to maintain emotional security and improve relationship therapy outcomes.
Working with trained, certified emotionally focused therapists, couples and individuals develop a sense of security and trust in their relationships. Using EFT, clients feel supported, navigate emotional responses, and strengthen attachment bonds for lasting, fulfilling connections.
Take control of the process.
Beginning therapy can feel daunting but the truth is you decide what (and when) to share. Our diverse team specializes in a range of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and relationship issues. No matter your situation, we're here to support your journey to empowerment and mental wellness.
Your therapist is your guide.
Finding the right therapist is key to achieving your goals. Dip your toes into the therapy experience by booking a free consultation with one of our registered psychotherapists. These appointments are an opportunity to address your questions and explore your challenges, needs, and aspirations.
Commit to the experience.
To maximize the benefits of counselling it’s important you attend sessions consistently. When in session, we encourage you to lead the agenda. (Remember, this is YOUR therapy!) Between sessions, we hope you will strive to apply new insights, practice new skills, and develop new habits that support personal growth.
Are you looking for therapy that helps you understand emotions, repair relational patterns, and feel more connected with those you love?
At Upstream Counselling, we provide Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) services based on attachment theory and using EFCT, EFIT, and EFFT techniques. Whether you’re dealing with stress in interactions between partners, emotional distance, or challenges like dealing with infidelity, our EFT approach is designed to help you move forward with insight, emotional clarity, and stronger relational bonds.
Everyone deserves therapy that feels relevant, respectful, and effective. You don’t have to face mental health problems or relationship struggles alone—EFT can also be helpful for individuals, couples, and families, giving guidance that really works in everyday life.
Our group of clinicians includes certified EFT practitioners with EFT training, offering therapy for individuals, emotionally focused therapy for couples, and couple and family therapy. We provide a collaborative and respectful approach to clients, helping you develop knowledge and skills, repair negative patterns, and build secure attachment bonds.
We understand that relationships can feel complicated, emotions overwhelming, and past hurts hard to move past. Whether this is your first time in therapy or you’re returning after a break, EFT helps clients increase emotional awareness, improve interactions between partners, and strengthen attachment bonds using the three stages and the theory of adult love.
Using EFT, clients reconnect with themselves, their partners, or family members, gaining understanding of relationships, relational clarity, and practical strategies to manage conflict. Workbooks and the Journal of Couple help clients practice therapy techniques outside sessions, so progress continues beyond the therapy room.
If you’re ready to explore Emotionally Focused Therapy in Kitchener-Waterloo, Upstream Counselling is here with the guidance, skill, and supportive care you need to take the next step toward healthier, more connected relationships.
At Upstream Counselling, we want you to feel comfortable with the counselling process. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about talking to a therapist about this type of therapy.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) helps individuals, couples, and families understand emotions, repair negative patterns, and build stronger attachment bonds. It’s about creating emotional safety and connection in your relationships.
Recognizing emotional patterns: EFT helps you notice recurring emotional responses and interactions between partners, making it easier to understand why conflicts happen.
Repairing negative cycles: Therapy techniques guide you in breaking harmful patterns and replacing them with healthier ways of relating.
Building secure bonds: Grounded in attachment theory, EFT supports deep emotional connections that feel safe and lasting.
Structured approach: The three stages of EFT provide a clear path to awareness, improved interactions, and maintaining positive change.
Practical skills: EFT gives you tools you can use in daily life to keep relationships healthy, even outside therapy sessions.
An EFT therapist helps couples understand emotions, rebuild trust, and strengthen their connection using a proven approach to couples therapy.
Identifying cycles of conflict: A therapist helps partners see recurring patterns and uncover the emotional needs behind arguments.
Rebuilding connection: Therapy techniques guide partners to safely express feelings, improving closeness and trust.
Addressing relational hurts: EFT can also help couples dealing with challenges like infidelity or emotional distance.
Skill development: Couples learn knowledge and skills to manage conflicts and maintain a secure attachment bond over time.
Yes, EFT can also be helpful for individuals and families, not just couples. It focuses on emotions, attachment, and how relationships shape your mental health.
Exploring personal emotions: Individual therapy helps you understand emotional responses and develop resilience to stress or past hurts.
Improving family dynamics: Family therapy uses EFT techniques to strengthen relationships and repair negative interaction patterns.
Practical therapy techniques: The skills you learn in sessions carry over into real-life interactions, improving everyday relationships.
Attachment-informed approach: EFT is grounded in attachment theory, giving you a clear, structured path to more secure connections.
A qualified emotionally focused therapist ensures safe, effective, and supportive care, ideally with certification in EFT.
Training and experience: Look for therapists skilled in EFCT, EFIT, and EFFT therapy techniques for individuals, couples, and families.
Knowledge of attachment theory: A good EFT therapist understands the theory of adult love and the three stages of EFT.
Collaborative approach: Effective therapists are collaborative and respectful of clients, creating a space where you feel safe to explore emotions.
Continued learning: Therapists who engage in ongoing EFT training stay up to date on techniques and research to provide the best support.
Attachment theory helps therapists understand why we respond emotionally in relationships and how early experiences shape adult connections.
Relational patterns: It explains how negative cycles form and why partners may react in predictable ways.
Focus on emotions: EFT therapy techniques help clients notice and respond to feelings in a way that strengthens bonds.
Structured change: The three stages of EFT guide clients from awareness to repairing interactions and consolidating positive changes.
Repairing bonds: Attachment-informed EFT helps rebuild trust and secure emotional bonds between partners, families, or individuals.
Practical application: Workbooks and the Journal of Couple let clients practice skills outside sessions, reinforcing lasting emotional and relational growth.
Our team at Upstream Counselling is here to help you explore issues, gain insights, begin your journey towards healing, and work towards the goals you identify during the counselling process.
Personalized therapy designed to address specific mental health issues while also nurturing personal growth and well-being.
A counselling program focusing on fostering effective communication, resolving conflicts, and nurturing healthy relationships.
A program designed to support clinical growth, whether you’re a student or a seasoned professional.
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Disclaimer: Content on this website is for informational purposes only. Visiting this website does not establish any type of therapist-client relationship with Upstream Counselling or its staff. Information obtained from this site does not substitute for a thorough medical and/or psychiatric evaluation by an appropriately credentialed and licensed professional.
