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Cara Kraft, LCSW, working at her desk in her Portland, Maine office

Emotionally Focused Therapy

EFT Therapist in Portland, Maine

Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and individuals seeking deeper connection, emotional safety, and lasting change.

The work

What this work is, and who it helps

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is a research-supported, attachment-based approach that helps people understand the emotions and underlying needs that drive their conflict, anxiety, or disconnection, and use that understanding to rebuild a secure, responsive bond.

What is Emotionally Focused Therapy?

EFT is built on attachment science: the idea that our need for safe, dependable connection is not weakness, it is wired in. This work is about slowing down, making sense of your reactions, and helping you respond from a more secure place. You will not be blamed, labeled, or pathologized. EFT is about creating safety, not shame.

Who EFT is for

Most conflict is not really about the dishes or the calendar. Underneath, there is a quieter question: Are you there for me? Can I reach you? EFT works at that level, naming the cycle a couple gets stuck in, slowing it down, and helping each person hear what the other is actually longing for. When the emotional bond feels safer, communication tends to improve naturally.

EFT for couples and for individuals

With couples, EFT focuses on breaking the negative cycle and restoring closeness. With individuals, the same attachment lens helps make sense of anxiety, relationship patterns, and the way old experiences echo in current relationships. The pace stays collaborative and tailored to your goals, because the aim is change that holds, not a quick fix.

My Training

The training behind this work

This is research-supported work. Instead of client quotes, here's the training I bring to it.

  • EFT Externship
  • EFT Core Skills
  • EFT Advanced Training
  • Attachment-based therapy

These are the approaches I'm trained in and keep building on. I draw on all of them in the room, shaped to what each person in front of me actually needs.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How is EFT different from other couples therapy?

EFT works at the level of attachment and emotion rather than only communication skills or conflict rules. Instead of refereeing arguments, we name the negative cycle underneath them and rebuild a secure bond, which tends to improve communication naturally.

What if my partner is avoidant or shuts down?

That is very common, and EFT has a clear way of working with it. Withdrawing is usually a protective strategy, not a lack of caring. We slow things down so the more withdrawn partner can stay present and the more anxious partner can feel reached.

Does EFT work online as well as in person?

For most people, yes. Research has found virtual therapy can be just as effective as meeting in person, including couples work. Telehealth is available to clients located anywhere in Maine.

Can I do EFT on my own, as an individual?

Yes. The same attachment lens that helps couples also helps individuals make sense of anxiety, relationship patterns, and the way old experiences echo in current relationships.

How long does EFT take?

EFT is designed for lasting change rather than quick fixes, so the pace is collaborative and tailored to your goals and circumstances. We check in regularly so you always have a say in the timeline.

In person at my office in downtown Portland, and online for clients located anywhere in Maine. Because I am licensed in Maine, I can only work with clients who are physically in Maine.

Couples sessions are $225 (60 min) or $300 (90 min); individual sessions are $175 (55 min). Out-of-network, with superbills provided.

See rates and insurance

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Whenever you're ready

Let's take the first step together.

A free 15-minute consultation is a no-pressure way to get a feel for how I work and whether we're a good fit. In person in Portland, or online anywhere in Maine.

Request a consultation (978) 238-0843
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