Emotion-Focused Therapy Vancouver
EFT Counselling for Emotional Healing
Emotions can be powerful guides, yet many of us were never taught how to work with them. Instead, we learned to suppress, avoid, or judge our feelings. Over time, this can lead to anxiety, numbness, disconnection, or a sense that we’re “too much” or “not enough.” Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps you reconnect with your emotions in a way that’s supportive, clarifying, and deeply healing.
At ARC, we use EFT to help you move through difficult emotional experiences—not around them. Together, we’ll create space for your feelings to be heard, understood, and transformed.
Do your emotions feel overwhelming—or out of reach?
Emotions aren’t problems to fix. In fact, they’re messengers with important information. But when we’ve learned to fear or suppress them, our inner world can feel confusing and chaotic.
Here are some signs you might benefit from EFT:
- Difficulty identifying or expressing your emotions
- Feeling emotionally stuck, numb, or shut down
- Frequent overwhelm, reactivity, or tearfulness
- Harsh inner criticism or shame
- Repeating the same relational patterns
- Feeling like your emotions are “too much” for others
- Struggling to make sense of your inner experience
How emotion-focused therapy can help
EFT is an experiential and evidence-based approach that helps you access, explore, and transform your emotions in a safe, supportive space. Instead of pushing your feelings aside, EFT invites you to turn towards them—with openness and compassion.
Your ARC therapist will help you:
- Identify and differentiate between surface emotions and deeper emotional needs
- Access underlying core emotions like sadness, fear, anger, or shame
- Transform stuck emotional responses into more adaptive, healing ones
- Build self-compassion and emotional regulation skills
- Shift the way you relate to yourself and others
- Navigate your emotions with more cofidence, self-trust, and intention
Let's work through this together
Emotions can often feel messy and unpredictable. But they also hold the key to healing, self-understanding, and change. You don’t have to navigate them alone.
At ARC, our therapists are trained in Emotion-Focused Therapy and offer a warm, attuned space to help you reconnect with your emotional world. If you’re ready to feel more calm, integrated, and at peace with your emotions, reach out for a free consultation today.
Meet Our Vancouver Therapists
Tianna Bobariu
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
Amenda Kumar
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
Kristen Rattray
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
Kiana Maeda
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
Jack Wong
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
Danielle Simpson
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
Elise Millett
Registered Social Worker (RSW)
Lilian Wang
Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC)
Getting The Help You Need is Easy
Reach Out
Fill out our easy contact form. All we need is your basic info, and a few words about what brings you to therapy.
Free Consultation
We’ll reach out to schedule your complimentary consultation. We’ll discuss your goals, questions, and make sure we’re the right fit.
Start Therapy
Feeling ready? We’ll book your first session and create a personalized plan to help you live the life you deserve.
Our Step-by-Step EFT Process
Building Emotional Safety
We start by building a supportive relationship where you feel safe to slow down and tune inward. You’ll never be rushed or pushed—we’ll go at a pace that respects your emotional boundaries.
Mapping Your Emotional Patterns
We’ll explore how emotions show up in your body, thoughts, and relationships. Together, we’ll begin to identify patterns—like suppression, avoidance, or over-intensity—that may be keeping you stuck.
Accessing Core Emotions
Using gentle experiential techniques, we'll guide you towards deeper emotions that may be hidden beneath anger, anxiety, or numbness. This is where true healing begins.
Befriending Your Emotions
You’ll learn to listen to your emotions without judgment, allowing them to reveal what you truly need. We’ll help you move from reactivity to understanding, and from shame to self-compassion.
Transforming Emotional Responses
Once the core emotion is fully felt and processed, we'll work with you to generate new, more adaptive emotional experiences—ones that support healing, growth, and resilience.
Integrating Emotional Insights
In the final stage, we'll support you in integrating what you’ve learned—so your emotions feel more like trusted guides, and less like something to fear or fight.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is EFT?
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) is an evidence-based approach that helps you identify, process, and transform difficult emotions. Rather than avoiding or suppressing feelings, EFT supports you in understanding their purpose and using them as a guide towards healing and change. It’s grounded in the belief that emotions are key to identity and decision-making, and that lasting change comes from experiencing and reshaping core emotional responses.
What’s the difference between EFT and other types of therapy?
Unlike more cognitive approaches that focus on changing thoughts or behaviors, EFT works primarily with your emotional experience. It helps you access and process core emotions in a safe, structured way, so that you can better understand your inner world and respond differently. In other words, EFT doesn’t just help you understand your emotions—it helps you move through them. This often leads to deeper insight, self-compassion, and long-lasting transformation.
What kinds of issues is EFT helpful for?
EFT is effective for a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, emotional numbness, shame, self-criticism, and difficulty expressing or regulating emotion. It can also support people who struggle in relationships or feel disconnected from their sense of self. Whether you experience intense emotions or have trouble accessing them, EFT helps you build a more supportive relationship with yourself and your emotions.
Do I need to be in touch with my emotions already for EFT to work?
Not at all. In fact, many people come to EFT because they feel cut off from their emotions, don’t know what they’re feeling, or worry that if they do feel, it will be too much. EFT gently helps you build emotional awareness and tolerance over time. You don’t need to “know how to feel” before starting—you just need a willingness to begin.
What if I’m scared to feel what I’ve been avoiding?
That’s completely understandable. EFT is never about forcing emotion. The therapy is paced carefully based on what feels safe for you. We start by understanding your protective strategies—the parts of you that may shut down, avoid, or numb out—and we honour the important role they’ve played. Only when trust and safety are established do we begin to deepen into the emotions underneath. You’re never pushed, and you’re always in control of the pace.
How long does EFT typically take?
EFT can be short- or longer-term, depending on your goals and the depth of work you want to do. Some clients begin to notice changes in emotional clarity and regulation within a few sessions. Others stay in therapy longer to work through deeper layers of trauma, relational wounds, or long-standing emotional blocks. Either way, EFT is designed to create meaningful, lasting change—not just surface-level symptom relief.
Is EFT covered by insurance?
Yes. Most extended health plans cover counselling with a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC). We’ll provide you with a receipt after each session that you can submit to your insurance provider. Many clients receive reimbursement within a few business days, depending on their plan.
How will I fit appointments into my busy schedule?
We understand that life is hectic—that’s why we offer flexible evening and weekend appointments, as well as online therapy options you can attend from home. Whether you prefer a consistent weekly time or need a bit more flexibility, we’ll work with you to find a schedule that supports your goals and respects your time.
How do I start therapy?
The first step is to reach out and book a complimentary 30-minute consultation. This gives you the opportunity to meet with one of our therapists, ask questions, and get a feel for whether EFT is the right fit for your needs and goals.
If it feels like a match, we’ll work with you to find a session time that fits your schedule and begin setting goals for therapy. If not, we’ll help you find another therapist or approach that may be a better fit. Our priority is helping you get the support that’s right for you.
A Message of Support from Our Director
Hi, I’m Kelsey, the Clinical Director here at ARC. I want to start by saying something that doesn’t get said enough – it’s okay to need support.
If you’re reading this, you might be feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply not yourself. At ARC, we understand how deeply personal it is to reach out for help. That’s why we’re so intentional about the care we offer. Every therapist on our team is here because they lead with heart, they know their stuff, and they truly care about helping people feel better.
We also know that feeling safe in therapy means feeling seen and respected. That’s why we’re committed to creating an inclusive space – one that honours your identity, your culture, and your lived experience.
My role is to make sure your experience here is thoughtful, safe, and meaningful – from your very first point of contact to the support you receive in therapy. If you’re unsure about where to start, I encourage you to reach out for a free consultation. I’ll personally take the time to read your request and match you with one of the therapists on our team.
You’ve already taken the first step by being here. When you’re feeling ready, take the next step by reaching out – and we’ll walk the rest of the way together.
Take the next step towards feeling better today
Location
470 Granville St, #922
Vancouver, BC, V6C 1V5
Our Hours
Mon – Fri: 09:00 – 21:30
Sat – Sun: 09:00 – 20:30