Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFT) in Tampa, St. Petersburg & Sarasota
Have you ever felt like you and your partner keep missing each other—even when you're trying your hardest? Maybe a small disagreement turns into silence. Maybe one of you shuts down while the other escalates. Maybe you're still hurting from something that happened months or years ago.
You’re not alone. These are the exact patterns that bring couples into our offices every week. And this is where Emotionally Focused Therapy truly shines.
If you’re already feeling distance, conflict, or emotional disconnection, our couples therapy in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota provides additional tools to help you rebuild communication and trust.
What is EFT Couples Therapy?
Emotionally Focused Therapy is one of the most effective, research-backed approaches for helping couples repair and strengthen their relationship. Rooted in attachment theory, EFT recognizes that humans are wired for emotional connection, and when those bonds are threatened (or even broken), it leads to distress and anxiety in the relationship. Through a structured process, EFT helps couples in Tampa and St. Petersburg identify destructive patterns, heal emotional wounds, and rebuild secure attachments. At It Begins Within, our EFT-trained couples counselors provide expert guidance to help you deepen trust, improve communication, and create a more connected & intimate relationship.
Why EFT Works So Well
Addresses root patterns behind conflict
Helps partners communicate from vulnerability
Repairs “attachment injuries” like betrayal
Reduces reactivity and shuts down the “fight/flight/freeze” cycle
Supported by decades of research and clinical trials ( backed by over 20 years of research showing 70–75% of couples recover and 90% report significant improvement - Journal of Marital & Family Therapy )
Couples come to our Tampa, St. Pete, and Sarasota locations with every imaginable concern—infidelity, emotional disconnect, parenting stress, blended family conflict—and EFT consistently delivers long-lasting change.
Meet Our EFT Couples Therapists Serving Sarasota, St. Petersburg & Tampa
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![Headshot of Samantha Kindler, Tampa EFT Couples Therapist at It Begins Within Therapy]()
Samantha Kindler, MA, RMHCI
Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist in Tampa & St. Petersburg
Samantha specializes in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples in Tampa, helping partners break the pursue–withdraw cycle, rebuild emotional safety, and reconnect during seasons of stress, conflict, or transition. With advanced training in EFT, CBT, and attachment-based approaches, she works with high-achieving couples, new parents, and individuals healing from anxiety, trauma, and relational wounds.
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![Headshot of Chelsea Walker, Sarasota EFT Couples Therapist and LMFT at It Begins Within Therapy]()
Chelsea Walker, MA, LMFT
EFT Couples Therapist Serving Sarasota & Across Florida Virtually
Chelsea is a licensed marriage and family therapist with specialized training in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples navigating communication breakdowns, infidelity recovery, emotional distance, and high-conflict patterns. She blends EFT with systemic and experiential approaches to help partners repair attachment injuries and strengthen their bond. Chelsea works with couples across Sarasota.
EFT Therapy Near Me in Tampa, St. Petersburg & Sarasota
EFT Therapy St. Petersburg FL
Our St. Petersburg EFT therapists support couples and individuals across Pinellas County—including Clearwater, Largo, Seminole, Gulfport, and Feather Sound—who are navigating emotional disconnect, recurring conflict cycles, or the aftermath of relationship injuries. Whether you’re rebuilding trust after an argument cycle, healing attachment wounds, or looking to strengthen communication, our licensed clinicians provide evidence-based Emotionally Focused Therapy to help you feel more secure, understood, and connected.
EFT Therapy in Tampa
Located near Westshore and South Tampa, our Tampa office provides Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and families throughout Hillsborough County—including Hyde Park, Carrollwood, Brandon, Riverview, and Apollo Beach. Our EFT-trained therapists help partners identify their negative interaction patterns, express core emotions with safety, and rebuild emotional closeness. Many Tampa couples facing high-stress careers, parenting demands, or communication breakdowns find EFT a powerful path to restoring balance and intimacy.
EFT Therapy in Sarasota
Our Sarasota EFT therapists serve couples and families in Lakewood Ranch, Palmer Ranch, University Park, and Siesta Key. We specialize in helping partners heal emotional distance, recover from relational injuries, and strengthen attachment during major life transitions. Using structured, evidence-based EFT techniques, our clinicians help couples break longstanding conflict cycles and create deeper emotional security—whether in early marriage, blended families, or long-term partnerships.
How EFT Works: The Proven 9-Step Process
EFT follows three phases and nine structured steps. Here’s how we guide you through each one:
Phase 1: De-escalation (Sessions 1–4)
Identify the cycle — pursue/withdraw, attack/defend, shutdown/escalate
Explore emotions beneath reactions
Reframe the problem as the cycle—not the partner
Phase 2: Restructuring Interactions (Sessions 5–12)
Access primary emotions (fear, abandonment, inadequacy)
Promote new emotional experiences
Encourage partner responsiveness & attunement
Phase 3: Consolidation (Sessions 12+)
Integrate new approaches
Strengthen secure connection
Apply skills to future challenges
You’ll also learn:
EFT therapy techniques
EFT interventions for couples
How attachment styles influence conflict
How to rebuild emotional and physical intimacy (learn more in our guide to emotional intimacy)
Who Can Benefit from EFT ?
Emotion focused therapy is a powerful approach for relationship counseling for couples struggling with conflict and emotional distance, or burdened by unresolved emotional wounds. Whether you are facing everyday communication struggles or navigating the aftermath of a major life event, EFT can help you and your partner rebuild a stronger, more resilient connection.
EFT for couples & marriages
Couples experiencing communication breakdowns
Partners recovering from betrayal, infidelity, or emotional wounds
Marriages strained by major life transitions (career changes, relocation, family changes)
eft for individuals
Healing from past relationship trauma or attachment injuries
Managing anxiety, depression, or self-esteem issues linked to relationship experiences
Seeking to understand and change recurring emotional patterns in their lives
What to Expect from Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT)
If this is your first time exploring relationship counseling, we suggest you read (or at least skim) our article outlining what to expect in couples therapy. For those who have been through couples counseling and didn’t achieve the result they were looking for, an EFT couples therapist might be what your relationship needs.
what to expect in emotional focused therapy sessions
Throughout therapy, you can expect to identify emotional triggers (for both of you) and become aware of the negative interaction cycles you have been going through.
You’ll learn new ways to express your needs and understand (and respond) to your partners needs.
Both partners will focus on healing emotional injuries through open conversation and guidance from your therapist
You will learn how to strengthen or rebuild a secure, loving bond based on trust and responsiveness.
Both in-person and virtual EFT couples therapy sessions are available to meet your needs and schedule.
Core principles of EFT
Attachment is Essential - We all need safe emotional bonds to thrive.
Emotions Guide Relationships - Healing emotions leads to stronger connections.
Negative Cycles Cause Conflict - Recognizing these patterns is key to change.
Emotional Safety Heals - Security in the relationship creates space for growth.
New Emotional Experiences Transform - Real change happens when couples feel safe, understood, and connected.
Why Sarasota, Tampa & St. Petersburg Couples Choose EFT
Highly trained & specialized couples therapists (only the top 1% of therapists practice at IBW).
Private and conveniently located offices across Florida
A deep commitment to helping couples create lasting change (as rapidly as possible).
Privacy. We support numerous community leaders, professional athletes and executives and understand the significance of discretion.
Don’t Just Take Our Word For It
EFT is one of the most trusted and well-studied types of couples therapy available today. Research, including studies in the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy and by *Dr. Sue Johnson, shows that 70-75% of couples who complete EFT move from feeling stuck to rebuilding their relationship, and about 90% show big improvements. At It Begins Within, we proudly use these proven methods to help couples in Tampa and St. Petersburg create stronger, more connected relationships.
*(Johnson, S. M. (2008). Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love. New York: Little, Brown and Company.)
Commonly Asked Questions About EFT
How is EFT different from other couples therapy methods?
EFT focuses deeply on emotional needs and attachment, not just communication skills. This focus helps couples transform their relationship at its core.
Can EFT help if we've experienced infidelity?
Yes. EFT is especially effective for couples healing from betrayal, helping rebuild trust through emotional repair and reconnection.
Do you offer virtual EFT sessions?
Absolutely. We provide secure online EFT couples counseling for clients throughout Florida.
How does EFT therapy work?
EFT therapy works by helping couples identify negative emotional patterns, express unmet needs, and rebuild a secure emotional bond through structured, compassionate sessions.
What are the three stages of treatment in EFT therapy?
The three stages of EFT are: 1) De-escalating negative cycles, 2) Restructuring emotional bonds, and 3) Consolidating new patterns of connection and trust.
How is EFT different from CBT?
While CBT focuses on changing thoughts and behaviors, EFT focuses on healing emotional attachment wounds and strengthening emotional bonds between partners.
What are the criticisms of EFT?
Some criticisms of EFT include its strong focus on emotional experiences, which may not suit couples seeking purely cognitive or behavior-based approaches.
What are the 9 steps of EFT?
The nine steps of EFT involve identifying patterns, accessing underlying emotions, reframing interactions, promoting acceptance, restructuring bonds, and creating new cycles of positive connection.
Schedule a Free Consultation for EFT Therapy Near Me
If you’re ready to rebuild trust, strengthen communication, or break painful conflict cycles, our EFT-trained couples therapists in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota are here to help. Emotionally Focused Therapy offers a compassionate, research-supported path toward deeper connection—whether you’re healing after a difficult season, navigating the aftermath of an argument pattern, or hoping to feel close to your partner again.