Emotionally focused therapy / EFT-A07-1
Receiving a Bid — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind receiving a bid and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Alex says a difficult commute left them wanting a welcoming moment.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Receiving can begin with accurate acknowledgment rather than immediate fixing.
The idea
Receiving can begin with accurate acknowledgment rather than immediate fixing.
An ordinary example
Alex says a difficult commute left them wanting a welcoming moment.
What this can look like
Practice reflecting a partner's stated feeling and checking accuracy before giving advice.
Check the fit
What acknowledgment matches what was actually said? You may disagree with the framing, use fiction, or decide that this approach is not useful today.
A useful distinction
An interaction cycle is a relational map, not a way to split responsibility equally for abuse or excuse harmful behavior.
Prompts for this resource
- What part of this idea makes sense to me?
- What acknowledgment matches what was actually said?
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.