Emotionally focused couple therapy was founded by Canadian psychologist Sue Johnson. It is based on the work of John Bowlby and his theory of attachment, according to which the search for closeness and security through emotional bonds - relationships with parents - is the expression of a primary need in children
Emotionally focused couple therapy emphasizes attachment in the adult relationship as the central force organizing the dynamics at work in the couple's emotional bond, regardless of sexual orientation.
It is an experiential, systemic and humanistic therapy model, which borrows some elements from Gestalt therapy and the Rogérian approach.

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What is the purpose of couples therapy?

The goal of emotionally focused therapy is to create and maintain a "secure" bond of attachment: each partner can find anchorage, comfort and intimacy with the other when he/she needs it. This is the necessary condition to establish a deep sense of security, from which will flow essential faculties in the relationship, such as regulating emotions, processing information, solving difficulties, better dealing with differences and communicating clearly, not to mention gaining autonomy and self-confidence.