Emotionally focused therapy / EFT-A02-3
Signals under the Reaction — Clinician dialogue
Guide a collaborative conversation about signals under the reaction while checking fit and participant choice.
15 minutes · Clinician script · Mental health professionals
Fictional example: Alex sounds irritated but identifies uncertainty about being included.
Use within your training and assessment of readiness. Visible reactions may cover more vulnerable experiences.
Invite and obtain permission
Offer: "Would it be useful to explore signals under the reaction using an ordinary or fictional example? We can adapt it, observe, or stop." Ask what the person wants from the conversation.
Elicit before teaching
Ask: "How does this show up, if at all, in your own words?" Offer this idea tentatively: Visible reactions may cover more vulnerable experiences. Ask what fits and what does not.
Guide the task
Separate an outward response from possible softer feelings and mark all guesses for the other person as unconfirmed. Ask for permission before giving an example. Use this fictional illustration if useful: Alex sounds irritated but identifies uncertainty about being included.
Reflect and check accuracy
Reflect only what was offered: "I heard you describe ___. What did I miss?" Ask: What feeling can you name for yourself without assigning one to your partner? Avoid assigning motives or interpreting silence as agreement.
Respond to a mismatch
If the person rejects the frame, say: "Thank you for correcting it. What would be more useful?" Return to their language or choose a different approach.
Close with agency
Ask which observation, question, or support request the person wants to keep. Confirm a manageable ending and appropriate follow-up; do not turn a tentative possibility into a homework obligation.
Prompts for this resource
- Readiness, permission, cultural context, and access needs to check:
- What feeling can you name for yourself without assigning one to your partner?
- What would tell me to adapt, stop, or seek supervision?
Conceptual background
What is EFT? — International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy
Background on the approach only. Original exercises and wording are by More Than Therapy with AI assistance; the source does not validate or endorse these materials.