Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy in San Diego

emotionally focused individual therapy

Do you find yourself stuck in the same patterns: people-pleasing, overthinking, or pulling away when you actually want closeness? Many of us learned these habits as survival strategies, but over time they can leave us feeling anxious, disconnected, or “never enough.”

Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) helps you understand and heal these deeper emotional and attachment patterns, so you can feel more secure in yourself and more connected in your relationships.

 Schedule a Free Consultation to explore whether EFIT is the right fit for you.

What Is Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy?

EFIT is based on the same proven approach as Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, but tailored for one-on-one therapy. Instead of focusing on the dynamics between partners, EFIT helps you look inward at how your attachment experiences and emotions shape the way you relate to yourself and others.

In therapy, we work together to:

  • Explore and understand your emotional world

  • Recognize how early attachment experiences may still impact you today

  • Develop healthier ways of regulating and expressing emotions

  • Build a stronger, more compassionate relationship with yourself

(Curious about EFT for couples? Learn more on my Emotionally Focused Therapy page.)

How EFIT Can Help You

EFIT is especially helpful if you:

  • Struggle with anxiety, self-criticism, or perfectionism

  • Feel weighed down by old relationship wounds or unresolved grief

  • Long for closeness but find yourself pulling back or pushing people away

  • Tend to people-please or overfunction and feel resentful or burned out

  • Want to feel more grounded, confident, and connected

By addressing the emotions and attachment patterns underneath these struggles, EFIT supports lasting change rather than quick fixes.

What to Expect in EFIT Therapy

EFIT isn’t about “talking through” problems in a detached way. Instead, sessions are experiential and collaborative. You’ll:

  • Identify patterns of avoidance, people-pleasing, or self-sabotage

  • Learn how to recognize the softer emotions and unmet needs beneath the surface reactions

  • Practice new ways of responding to yourself with compassion instead of judgment

  • Strengthen your ability to form healthier, more secure connections with others

The work is guided thoughtfully, helping you approach deeper emotions when you feel ready.

Why Choose EFIT?

Research shows EFIT can be effective for:

  • Relationship difficulties

  • Low self-esteem

  • Anxiety and depression

  • Trauma and unresolved grief

At its heart, EFIT helps you build secure attachment: finding ways to trust yourself, share your needs, and reach for connection despite any fears of rejection or abandonment that may come up.

Take the Next Step

If you’re ready to move beyond surface-level coping strategies and create lasting change, EFIT may be the path forward.

Schedule a Free Consultation to learn more about Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy in San Diego or online.

(You might also be interested in learning more about  Attachment Styles and Therapy for People Pleasing.)