This study examined whether interactions characterized by high expression of emotional vulnerability in one partner followed by a highly supportive response style by the other partner predicted greater improvement on domains of forgiveness, unfinished business, trust, and relationship satisfaction in a sample of 32 couples presenting for Emotion Focused Couples Therapy with unresolved emotional injuries. For each outcome measure, two separate hierarchical regression models were tested (injured partner vulnerability and offending partner supportiveness; offending partner vulnerability and injured partner supportiveness). Both models significantly predicted improvement on the majority of outcome measures. Practice suggestions for working with emotionally injured couples are provided in light of the findings.

This study examined how the revealing of underlying vulnerable emotion relates to session and final outcome in the context of emotion-focused therapy for couples. Segments of videotaped therapy sessions were rated on a measure of underlying vulnerable emotional expression for twentyfive couples. Results indicated that partners rated sessions in which underlying vulnerable emotion was expressed significantly more positively than control sessions on a measure of session outcome. Moreover, from pre to post, couples who were found to have expressed underlying vulnerable emotion at least once improved significantly more on a measure of trust, and marginally significantly more on a measure of unfinished business, than couples who were not found to have expressed underlying vulnerable emotion. Recommendations for treatment are provided in light of the findings.Practitioner points • It is recommended that couple therapists help partners to access and express underlying vulnerable emotion, because this appears to be associated with better session and final outcomes. • When an underlying vulnerable emotion begins to emerge, it is recommended that the therapist maintain the focus on this emotion and help to facilitate its full expression.

EmotIon-focusEd thErapy for couplEs catalIna Woldarsky mEnEsEs and JacquElInE m. mckInnon 20 helping partners in intimate relationships access and express their underlying vulnerable emotions to each other is at the heart of emotionfocused therapy for couples (Eft-c). developed by leslie Greenberg and sue Johnson in the mid-1980s, this approach adopts a systemic view of interactions and sees couple dynamics through the lens of affect regulation. stemming from the humanistic-experiential tradition, Eft-c considers each couple within their relational context and uses empathy to explore couple interactions, particularly as they occur in the moment while exploring the emotional experience of the partners. In keeping with a systemic view, neither partner is seen as at fault for the couple's problems, but instead their difficulties are understood to be maintained by cycles of negative interaction that need to be changed. a large number of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of Eft-c in reducing relationship distress (e.g.