The Emotional Cycle vs. the Sexual Cycle in EFT: What’s the Difference?
Featuring EFT Trainer George Faller, LMFT & Dr. Laurie Watson, PhD
Are a couple’s emotional cycle and sexual cycle the same thing? Where do they overlap—and where are they fundamentally different?
In this special edition of We Heart Therapy, host Dr. Belle, PhD, LMFT, ICEEFT Certified EFT Supervisor & Therapist, sits down with George Faller, LMFT, ICEEFT Certified EFT Trainer, and Dr. Laurie Watson, PhD, AASECT Certified Supervisor and ICEEFT Certified EFT Therapist, for a fascinating conversation about the similarities and differences between the emotional and sexual cycles in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT).
For EFT therapists, we’re accustomed to tracking the negative interaction cycle and helping partners recognize the attachment fears, longings, emotions, and protective strategies that keep them stuck.
But does the couple’s sexual cycle follow the same pattern?
❤️ THE EMOTIONAL CYCLE & THE SEXUAL CYCLE
🔥 George, Laurie, and Dr. Belle explore how a couple can become caught in repeating patterns both **emotionally and sexually**—and why those patterns may overlap without necessarily being identical.
How does pursuit and withdrawal look when we move from an emotional interaction into a sexual one? Can a partner pursue emotionally but withdraw sexually—or vice versa? What happens when the emotional cycle and sexual cycle appear to tell us different things about the relationship?
And importantly, what does an EFT therapist need to listen for in order to recognize the difference?
In this conversation, we explore:
❤️ How the emotional cycle and sexual cycle are similar
🔥 The important ways the sexual cycle can differ from the emotional cycle
❤️ Where emotional and sexual cycles intersect and influence one another
🔥 Why therapists shouldn’t automatically assume that a couple’s sexual pattern perfectly mirrors their emotional cycle
❤️ How recognizing both cycles can give EFT therapists a richer understanding of the couple’s experience
For EFT therapists and couples therapists, understanding these distinctions can open up an entirely different layer of the couple’s attachment experience.
🎙️ MEET GEORGE FALLER & DR. LAURIE WATSON George Faller, LMFT is an ICEEFT Certified EFT Trainer, Supervisor, and Therapist based in New York. He trains therapists internationally in Emotionally Focused Therapy and is known for making the EFT model accessible, experiential, and deeply human.
👉 Learn more about George:
https://georgefaller.com/
https://successinvulnerability.com/
Dr. Laurie Watson, PhD is an AASECT Certified Supervisor and ICEEFT Certified EFT Therapist whose work focuses on the intersection of sexuality, relationships, attachment, intimacy, and couples therapy.
👉 Learn more about Laurie:
https://awakeningscenter.org/therapis...
❤️🔥 BRAVE LOVE, GREAT SEX George and Laurie co-host the Brave Love Great Sex podcast and are launching their new book of the same name, Brave Love, Great Sex.
Discover the podcast, book, and more from George & Laurie:
👉 https://bravelovegreatsex.com/
📚 GET THEIR NEW BOOK — BRAVE LOVE, GREAT SEX:
👉 https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/bo...
💛 ABOUT WE HEART THERAPY
Hosted by Dr. Belle, PhD, LMFT, ICEEFT Certified EFT Supervisor & Therapist, We Heart Therapy brings therapists conversations with leading EFT Trainers, Supervisors, researchers, and clinicians about Emotionally Focused Therapy, EFCT, EFIT, EFFT, attachment, relationships, trauma, sexuality, and becoming a more effective EFT therapist.
🌎 LEARN EMOTIONALLY FOCUSED THERAPY
Interested in EFT training or becoming an ICEEFT Certified EFT Therapist or Supervisor?
Visit the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT):
👉 https://iceeft.com/
❤️ CONNECT WITH DR. BELLE & WE HEART THERAPY
Dr. Belle: 👉
https://www.DrBelle.com
https://www.LasVegasMarriageCounselin...
We Heart Therapy: 👉 https://www.wehearttherapy.com/
Southern Nevada EFT: 👉 https://www.snveft.com
🔔 SUBSCRIBE TO WE HEART THERAPY
If you’re an EFT therapist, couples therapist, marriage and family therapist, sex therapist, psychologist, counselor, social worker, or mental health professional, subscribe for more conversations designed to deepen your understanding and practice of Emotionally Focused Therapy.
💬 QUESTION FOR EFT THERAPISTS:
Have you noticed a couple’s sexual cycle looking different from their emotional cycle? Tell us what you’ve noticed in the comments!
#EmotionallyFocusedTherapy #EFT #SexTherapy #CouplesTherapy #EFTTherapist #SexualCycle #AttachmentTheory #GeorgeFaller #LaurieWatson #BraveLoveGreatSex #ICEEFT #MarriageTherapy #SexualIntimacy #WeHeartTherapy