our Approach
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based approach that helps individuals and couples understand, regulate, and express emotions in healthy, supportive ways.
Instead of pushing emotions aside or trying to analyze them from a distance, EFT invites you to approach your emotional experience as a source of insight and healing. This work helps uncover the patterns beneath conflict, disconnection, or self-doubt. Guiding you to understand what your emotions are truly trying to tell you.
By tuning into your emotions with curiosity and compassion, you can strengthen your sense of safety, deepen trust in relationships, and build a more authentic connection with yourself and others.
Feel overwhelmed by emotions or unsure how to express them.
Tend to suppress or dismiss feelings to keep the peace.
Struggle with recurring patterns of conflict or disconnection.
Feel emotionally distant from yourself or loved ones.
Long for deeper intimacy, trust, and understanding.
You want to approach emotions with more compassion and confidence.
Sense that unresolved feelings from the past still affect your present.
Desire more emotional safety and connection in relationships.
Want to feel understood and accepted for your full emotional experience.
• Personalized referral plan with a therapist match guarantee
• Highly vetted therapists who are real, warm, and relatable
• A reputable clinic that has supported over 2,000 clients across BC
• Virtual counselling anywhere in BC — evenings and weekends available
• Holistic, collaborative care designed around your unique needs
• A dedicated clinic concierge to support you every step of the way
If you have any questions for us prior to booking an appointment or being matched with a therapist, please fill out this contact form and our clinic concierge will get back to you during business hours (Monday- Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm PST).
We look forward to supporting you!
604-418-8827
hello@gatherandground.ca
Meet members of our team who work with this approach.
Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) is a counselling approach that helps people identify, process, and transform emotions. It views emotions as the key to understanding ourselves and improving relationships. In EFT for couples, attachment dynamics are a primary foundation of this approach. By working with emotions directly, EFT supports healing, resilience, and long-lasting change.
In EFT, your therapist guides you to notice emotional triggers, explore underlying patterns, and practice new ways of responding. Sessions with your EFT therapist may involve slowing down conversations, identifying attachment needs, and using structured exercises to strengthen connection. As Gather & Ground specializes in attachment therapy, our therapists can support you in processing emotions instead of avoiding them, often experiencing relief and greater self-awareness.
EFT is effective for anxiety, depression, trauma recovery, stress, and grief. It is also one of the most researched approaches for couples therapy, helping partners reduce conflict, rebuild trust, and strengthen attachment bonds. Many clients in Vancouver and across BC choose EFT to feel more emotionally connected and secure within themselves and their relationships.
A typical session lasts 50–60 minutes however couples counselling may be up to 90 minutes. Your EFT therapist will create a safe space to notice and express emotions, explore how past experiences shape your responses, and practice new skills for emotional regulation. Sessions at Gather & Ground are collaborative, paced gently, and tailored to your personal or relationship goals.
EFT is helpful for individuals who feel overwhelmed by emotions, couples who want to improve communication and their attachment dynamics. It is especially supportive for people in BC and Vancouver who are seeking stronger emotional resilience, healthier relationships, and deeper self-understanding through therapeutic techniques and support.
Yes. Our counselling clinic is based in Vancouver and offers EFT . We serve clients throughout British Columbia—including Victoria, Kelowna, Kamloops, and smaller communities—through secure virtual therapy. This makes EFT accessible no matter where you live in BC. At Gather & Ground, we aim to reduce barriers to support and care.
The length of therapy depends on your needs. Some people notice positive changes after 8–10 sessions, while others continue longer for deeper work. In couples counselling, Our EFT trained therapists often suggest a minimum of 12 sessions to see long lasting change, however clients often shift into a maintenance phase at once a month for ongoing support once initial goals are achieved.
Yes. EFT is backed by decades of research showing its effectiveness for depression, trauma, and relationship issues. It is widely recognized as one of the most effective therapies for couples and is used by counsellors worldwide.
Many extended health plans in British Columbia cover sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC), Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCC), and Registered Social Workers (RSW). It’s best to confirm directly with your provider. Our Vancouver clinic issues detailed receipts to make the reimbursement process simple and stress-free.
Unlike other therapies that mainly focus on thoughts or behaviors, EFT emphasizes emotions as the foundation for change. It helps people process emotions on a deeper level, leading to longer-lasting results. EFT is also unique in its strong evidence base for couples therapy, making it highly effective for improving relationships, and a leading contender for attachment therapy for both individuals and couples!
Clients at Gather & Ground often report improved emotional awareness, reduced stress, and stronger connections with others. In couples therapy, our EFT therapists have helped rebuild trust, deepen intimacy, and reduce recurring conflicts. Over time, people feel more grounded, compassionate, and confident in handling emotions while untangling their intracrite patterns.
Look for a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Psychologist, or Social Worker who is trained in emotion-focused therapy. At our Vancouver counselling practice, several of our therapists specialize in EFT while offering virtual therapy, making support accessible across the province of BC.
