Expanding the emotion-focused therapy task of focusing to process emotional injury

ABSTRACT This research investigated the processing and integration of past painful/traumatic events using an expanded model of the Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) task of Focusing. In previous research Harte proposed that processing emotional injuries by bringing previously incomplete memories back into awareness through activating felt sense, followed a particular sequence. The discovery phase of task analysis, a theory building research methodology, was used to develop a detailed model that revealed the steps of client change. Two sets of client participants were recruited. (1) Clients who reported they had experienced an emotional injury that resulted in emotional pain and had been engaged in therapy for some time and (2) trainee therapists in the role of client (bringing their own experiences) working with another trainee. A total of nine EFT trained therapists (26–57 years, mean = 44.25 years, five females and four males) worked with 11 clients (26–53 years, mean = 38.50 years, eight females and three males). Twelve single sessions were visually recorded, transcribed, and rigorously analyzed. A sequential three stage empirical model emerged from the discovery phase of the task analysis. The resultant empirical model describes a newly identified EFT task for processing emotional injuries in response to a felt sense of emotional pain (the marker).