Emotionally focused therapy / EFT-A09-1
Responsiveness Menu — Concept brief
Understand the idea behind responsiveness menu and consider whether it fits your context.
8 minutes · Handout · Adults; supported use as appropriate
Fictional example: Alex prefers a question before a hug, while Sam prefers quiet company.
Use an ordinary or fictional example, with a clinician when appropriate. Helpful responses are personal and should be checked.
The idea
Helpful responses are personal and should be checked.
An ordinary example
Alex prefers a question before a hug, while Sam prefers quiet company.
What this can look like
Each person chooses preferred responses to a minor disappointment and identifies responses that do not fit.
Check the fit
How will you ask what kind of response is wanted? 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?
- How will you ask what kind of response is wanted?
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.