Reimagining emotion-focused therapy : working with emotional injuries from social injustice

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Elliott, Robert and Mertens, Dominique and van Wanrooij, Tim (2025) Reimagining emotion-focused therapy : working with emotional injuries from social injustice. Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies. ISSN 1477-9757 (https://doi.org/10.1080/14779757.2025.2585288)

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Abstract

We propose possible adaptations to Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) for marginalized client populations, including ethnic, gender, and sexual minorities – groups that have been historically underrepresented in EFT literature and training. Through a critical lens informed by principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI), we evaluate EFT’s limitations and propose ways to better serve clients who have experienced emotional injuries arising from social injustice in the form of marginalization experiences (MEs). Central to this work is situated empathy and its preconditions (e.g. twofold vision, broaching, critical self-reflection). Building on this, we outline a set of EFT tasks tailored to the challenges faced by these populations (e.g. working with marginalization-based anger or anguish, internalized oppression and anguish, microaggression repair), providing a roadmap for practitioners. The theoretical understandings and practical strategies offered here are intended to support EFT and other PCE therapists in adapting their approaches to better fit the needs of diverse clients.

ORCID iDs

Elliott, Robert ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3527-3397, Mertens, Dominique and van Wanrooij, Tim;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)