A1 Journal article (refereed)
Somatic Interventions and Depth of Experiencing in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (2022)

Kailanko, S., Wiebe, S. A., Tasca, G. A., & Laitila, A. A. (2022). Somatic Interventions and Depth of Experiencing in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy. International Journal of Systemic Therapy, 33(2), 109-128. https://doi.org/10.1080/2692398x.2022.2041346

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Kailanko, Sari; Wiebe, Stephanie A.; Tasca, Giorgio A.; Laitila, Aarno A.

Journal or series: International Journal of Systemic Therapy

ISSN: 2692-398X

eISSN: 2692-3998

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 18/03/2022

Volume: 33

Issue number: 2

Pages range: 109-128

Publisher: Routledge

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/2692398x.2022.2041346

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/80378

Abstract

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based couple therapy, views emotion as being central to the process of therapeutic change. As affect arousal of emotion is a somatic reaction, the purpose of this study was to focus on therapists’ interventions classified as noting and commenting on clients’ somatic cue of emotional experience, such as their facial expression or posture, in relation to depth of emotional experiencing demonstrated by clients in EFT couple therapy sessions. The sample included 13 therapists, each treating one couple during a single EFT training demonstration session. We coded therapists’ interventions (i.e., commenting on one partner’s somatic cue of emotion). Immediately prior to and following such therapist interventions, we rated the partner’s depth of emotional experiencing. The results of multilevel modeling demonstrated a significant linear increase in terms of depth of partner’s experiencing throughout the session. Furthermore, partners demonstrated a significant immediate increase in the depth of experiencing following somatically focused interventions. These findings suggest that interventions focusing on somatic experience of emotion may facilitate deeper experiencing for clients in EFT sessions.

Keywords: couples therapy; emotion-focused therapy for couples; emotions; experiencing; nonverbal communication; therapists; facilitation; intervention

Free keywords: emotionally focused couple therapy; EFT; somatic; experiencing; intervention

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

VIRTA submission year: 2022

JUFO rating: 1