Emotionally Focused Therapy: A Culturally Sensitive Approach for African American Heterosexual Couples

ABSTRACT

This article discusses unique considerations for a culturally sensitive emotionally focused therapy (EFT) for African American couples. EFT is an empirically supported treatment that significantly reduces relationship distress, yet efficacy with diverse populations remains unknown. African Americans’ chronic exposure to racism and discrimination creates a cumulative racial stress that negatively impacts their couple relationships. We propose a racially sensitive intervention for African American couples that addresses five considerations most salient for successful EFT treatment: the impact of racial stress, client trust of the therapist, gender-role expectations, and racial–gender views of emotionality and vulnerability. A case study illustrates this approach.