Case Formulation in Emotion-Focused Therapy

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) views clinical disorders as, at base, emotional disorders. Case formulation in EFT represents an organizing framework and a map to help therapists specifically address these emotional problems.

This book presents a detailed, concrete, step-by-step process for constructing an emotion-focused case formulation, ready for use with clients. EFT case formulation focuses on the client's narrative content (the stories they tell) as well as emotional processing (how the client feels).

By attending to the interaction between these two things and paying particular attention to the painful emotion underlying the presenting problem, therapists can make moment-to-moment decisions about how to proceed in therapy. As a result, clients change maladaptive emotions and create more adaptive meaning of events and feelings.

The chapters present each stage of case formulation in depth, followed by case examples that apply the case formulation method to a cross-section of clinical disorders, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and eating disorders.

Rhonda N. Goldman, PhD, is a professor of clinical psychology at the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, Schaumburg, USA and a therapist affiliate of the Family Institute at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, USA where she conducts psychotherapy with couples and individuals.

Dr. Goldman has coauthored three texts on emotion-focused therapy (EFT) for both individuals and couples, as well as a number of book chapters and research articles establishing and reviewing empirical support for EFT. She practices, teaches, and conducts research on emotional processes and outcomes in EFT and has written on empathy, vulnerability, depression, couples process, and case formulation.

Dr. Goldman is the recipient of the Carmi Harari Early Career Award from APA Division Division 32 (Society for Humanistic Psychology). She is the current president of the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration. She sits on the editorial review board of two journals: Psychotherapy Research and Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies.

Dr. Goldman has more than 20 years of experience, practicing and training clinicians in practicing EFT.

Leslie S. Greenberg, PhD, is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Psychology at York University in Toronto, Canada and director of the Emotion-Focused Therapy Clinic.

Dr. Greenberg has authored the major texts on emotion-focused approaches to treatment. He received the APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contribution to Applied Research.

Dr. Greenberg received the Distinguished Research Career Award from the International Society for Psychotherapy Research and the Carl Rogers award from APA Division 32 (Society for Humanistic Psychology). He conducts a private practice for individuals and couples and offers training in emotion-focused approaches.

Emotion-focused therapy (EFT) views clinical disorders as, at base, emotional disorders. Case formulation in EFT represents an organizing framework and a map to help therapists specifically address these emotional problems. This book presents a detailed, concrete, step-by-step process for constructing an emotion-focused case formulation, ready for use with clients. EFT case formulation focuses on the client's narrative content (the stories they tell) as well as emotional processing (how the client feels). By attending to the interaction between these two things and paying particular attention to the painful emotion underlying the presenting problem, therapists can make moment-to-moment decisions about how to proceed in therapy. As a result, clients change maladaptive emotions and create more adaptive meaning of events and feelings. The chapters present each stage of case formulation in depth, followed by case examples that apply the case formulation method to a cross-section of clinical disorders, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and eating disorders.

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