How People Affected by Trauma Can Benefit from Emotionally Focused Therapy for Their Relationship
By Megan McDermott, Couples Therapist in Denver
When trauma touches our lives, it doesn’t stay neatly contained in the past—it echoes into our present relationships, shaping how we connect, communicate, and feel safe with our partners. For many couples, trauma can create emotional distance, mistrust, and patterns of disconnection that feel impossible to break. But healing is possible. Through Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), couples can begin to rebuild trust, deepen emotional safety, and reconnect in meaningful ways.
As a couples therapist in Denver, I often work with partners who are carrying the weight of past trauma—whether from childhood, previous relationships, or painful life experiences. EFT offers a powerful framework for understanding and healing these patterns together.
How Trauma Affects Relationships
When one or both partners have experienced trauma, the nervous system becomes wired for protection. This might look like:
- Withdrawing or shutting down emotionally
- Becoming easily triggered or reactive during conflict
- Struggling to trust or feel safe
- Feeling unseen, rejected, or disconnected
These reactions aren’t signs of failure—they are signs of pain. EFT helps couples recognize that beneath the defenses and arguments, there’s usually a longing to feel safe and connected.
What Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Does Differently
Emotionally Focused Therapy isn’t about blaming or fixing each other—it’s about understanding the emotional patterns that drive your relationship. In EFT, we explore how trauma impacts your ability to reach for and respond to each other.
Using gentle guidance, EFT helps partners:
- Recognize the “cycle” of conflict that keeps them stuck
- Understand each other’s deeper emotional needs and fears
- Rebuild a sense of safety and trust in the relationship
- Strengthen emotional bonds through vulnerability and compassion
Research consistently shows that EFT leads to lasting change by helping couples experience new emotional moments of connection—especially vital for those affected by trauma.
Healing Together in Couples Therapy
In my Denver therapy practice, I often remind couples: healing doesn’t happen in isolation. When you share your inner world with your partner in a safe, supported space, both of you can begin to rewrite old stories of fear and rejection into new stories of love and resilience.
Through couples therapy in Denver, many partners find that trauma no longer defines their relationship—it becomes part of their shared healing journey.
Ready to Begin Healing Your Relationship?
If trauma has made it hard to connect with your partner, you don’t have to face it alone. Emotionally Focused Therapy can help you and your partner find safety, understanding, and closeness again.
Reach out today to schedule a consultation for couples therapy in Denver. Together, we can help you rebuild trust and create the loving, secure bond you both deserve. Click Here to connect with Megan