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Emotionally Focused Therapy for Individuals (EFIT)

My work with individual clients, as well as being informed by my Existential training, is grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy for individuals (EFIT), an attachment-based, humanistic and experiential approach which focuses on exploring and understanding your emotional responses to promote personal growth and well-being. It helps individuals develop a deeper awareness of their emotions, identify underlying patterns, and work towards creating more satisfying and secure emotional connections with themselves and others. It involves exploring past experiences, identifying and addressing unmet emotional needs, and developing healthier ways of relating to oneself and others. The ultimate goal is to enhance emotional resilience and foster positive change in an individual's life.

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Possible Areas of Work:

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To have better interpersonal relationships: often people experience psychological distress and despair because they struggle to form or maintain satisfying interpersonal relationships. Our relationships are extremely important for our sense of well-being: they define who we are and how we feel about ourselves. EFIT helps improving your interpersonal relationships as it focuses on exploring and understanding emotions, which can enhance your ability to navigate and express yourself in your relationships. The therapy often addresses communication styles, attachment patterns, and the emotional dynamics within relationships. As you become more aware of your emotions and learn to express them effectively, it can lead to improved connection, empathy, and overall relationship satisfaction. 

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To better cope with anxiety: EFIT focuses on exploring and understanding emotions, which can be particularly beneficial for individuals dealing with anxiety. By creating a secure therapeutic relationship and addressing the emotional roots of your anxiety, EFIT aims to promote emotional well-being and resilience, so it will help you identify and process your anxious feelings, understand the underlying emotional patterns, and develop healthier ways of managing anxiety.

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To overcome depression and find personal meaning: if you experience a sense of emptiness and meaninglessness for a prolonged time, it can lead to despair, great psychological discomfort, destructive activities and addictions. My task is to help you uncover meaning in your life, even when life means painful experiences and crises, through deep personal reflection and subsequent action. I will pay attention to your emotions, beliefs, and talents, and encourage you to find your own meanings and truths.

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To overcome trauma:  whether it’s a traumatic memory from childhood that is still haunting or more recent events affecting you, EFIT provides a secure therapeutic relationship that allows the exploration of emotions related to traumatic experiences. It helps individuals process and make sense of their traumatic memories, fostering a sense of safety and resilience. The approach often involves validating and regulating emotions, promoting a more secure attachment to oneself and others.

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To increase self-awareness EFIT emphasises exploring and understanding one's emotions, which, in turn, contributes to a deeper understanding of oneself. By delving into emotional experiences, you can gain insights into your thought patterns, behaviours, and interpersonal dynamics. The process encourages you to recognise and express your emotions, fostering a more profound connection with your own internal experiences. This heightened self-awareness is a key aspect of EFIT and can contribute to personal growth, improved emotional regulation, and more satisfying interpersonal relationships.

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To be able to take responsibility for decisions: through an existential analysis of your current situation and life choices, I aim to help you develop a better sense of how you are the author of your life, to become more aware of the different choices available to you, your freedom to make decisions, and to reflect on the consequences of your actions for yourself and the people around you.

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To come to terms with bereavement or loss: each story of loss is different and painful in its own way; it is important that it has a space to be told. Unfortunately in our society death and loss are still a taboo subject for many; if you are grieving the loss of someone close to you, you may find that it is not easy to talk about your loss openly and to express your emotions, as people around you feel increasingly uncomfortable with the issue and expect you to move on after a certain time. However, trying to move on before you are actually ready, can make things worse in the long term. If the natural grieving process is stopped prematurely, the suppressed emotions may come back to the surface later in form of depression or anxiety. In therapy, you have a safe, private space to come to terms with your loss and process all the feelings arising from this life-changing event, as grief often involves a progression of different emotions and reactions that can include shock, numbness, anxiety, anger and sadness, all experienced in a uniquely personal way and often very difficult for people around to completely understand.  

  © Mila Palma 

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