Emotionally Focused Therapy helps make sense of the deeper attachment needs, fears, and protective responses that often live beneath conflict, distance, or emotional overwhelm. At Holding Space Therapy, we offer gentle, collaborative EFT to support more secure connection with yourself and the people who matter most.

Understanding the Hurt Beneath the Pattern

EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED THERAPY IN NJ, NY & CO

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Attachment, Relationships and Trauma

Attachment patterns, established through early interactions with caregivers and influenced by later relationships, shape how individuals view themselves and others. These patterns impact how we manage stress and navigate relationships throughout life. Trauma can significantly alter these attachment styles, affecting how we connect with and relate to others.

Trauma, especially experienced before age 18, can significantly impact adult relationships and attachment styles, shaping how individuals interact and handle intimacy. Early experiences with caregivers influence our perceptions of trust, safety, and connection, leading to various attachment styles such as secure, insecure, and disorganized patterns. Trauma in adulthood can further alter these styles, affecting relationships with partners and family members. However, couples and families can strengthen their bonds post-trauma through education and supportive treatment.

“The greatest gift a parent has to give a child—and a lover has to give a lover—is emotionally attuned attention and timely responsiveness.”

— Sue Johnson

Emotionally Focused Therapy

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a structured approach developed by Dr. Sue Johnson that focuses on improving relationship dynamics by addressing and restructuring emotional responses. This type of therapy aims to strengthen emotional bonds and interpersonal relationships by helping clients express and respond to their emotional needs and feelings more effectively, fostering deeper intimacy and connection. This treatment is very effective in helping clients deepen their understanding of the negative patterns in their relationships while strengthening their personal connections in meaningful ways.

A trauma-informed approach

Therapist Alein Haddad-Perez specializes in addressing complex developmental trauma, with a particular focus on childhood attachment and relational wounds.

In both individual and couples counseling, the first priority is to build a safe and secure therapeutic alliance. She then works to deepen your understanding of how early relational patterns influence your current symptoms and post-traumatic resilience. By integrating EMDR, Parts Work, and Somatic Experiencing (SE) in couples work, Alein facilitates the healing of traumatic misattunements on your autobiographical memories, physiological responses, and both intrapersonal and interpersonal relationships.