Free Therapist Training›EFT Couples Therapy Toolkit›Treatment Plan
Last updated: November 11, 2026
A treatment plan for emotionally focused couples therapy (EFCT) sets out what therapy will aim for at each stage, how you will know each aim has been met, and what you will do to get there. It turns the goals in the case conceptualization into objectives you can observe or count, with a target and a measure for each.
The template holds the case details, the problem as a cycle, the couple's goals in their own words, a session plan and a safety plan; a table for each of the three stages with goals, measurable objectives, interventions, measures and target dates; and a section for measures and review. A completed example for an invented couple follows the template.
The template is part of the free EFT Couples Therapy Toolkit from the Sentio MFT program, which teaches EFCT among the therapy models in its curriculum.
These are some items to consider when you write a treatment plan for emotionally focused couples therapy. Use what fits the couple, your setting and your employer's rules. It is not an official form, just some helpful ideas from the Sentio MFT program.
Download the PDFMake an editable copy
| Item | Entry |
|---|---|
| Couple, therapist and date written | |
| Diagnosis or reason for services, if your setting requires one | |
| The problem as a cycle | The cycle in one sentence, from the negative cycle map |
| Goals in the couple's words | |
| Session plan | Frequency, format (joint, with any individual sessions), and how often the plan is reviewed |
| Safety plan | Safety question at each session; pause agreement; when you will meet a partner alone |
Stage 1. Cycle de-escalation (steps 1 to 4)
| Goal | Measurable objective | Interventions | Measure | Target date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer escalating fights | Escalating fights fall from __ a week to __ or fewer | Tracking the cycle; pause agreement; reframing | Weekly count reported at each session | |
| The cycle becomes the shared problem | Each partner describes the cycle, including their own part, without blaming the other | Tracking and reflecting the cycle; reframing | Observation, recorded in session notes | |
| The emotions underneath come forward | Each partner names an underlying emotion and shares it with the other in session | Evocative questions; empathic conjecture; heightening; enactments | Observation, recorded in session notes |
Stage 2. Restructuring interactions (steps 5 to 7)
| Goal | Measurable objective | Interventions | Measure | Target date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The withdrawing partner steps in | States fears and needs directly to the other partner and stays engaged when the conversation gets hard | Heightening; empathic conjecture; enactments | Observation; both partners' report | |
| The pursuing partner softens | Asks the other for comfort from a vulnerable place, and the other responds | Heightening; enactments; processing the encounter | Observation; both partners' report | |
| An attachment injury is repaired, if there is one | The injured partner describes the hurt and the other acknowledges it, expresses regret and offers comfort; the injury stops coming up in fights | Enactments; heightening; validation | Observation; both partners' report |
Stage 3. Consolidation and integration (steps 8 and 9)
| Goal | Measurable objective | Interventions | Measure | Target date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New solutions to old problems | The couple works through two recurring practical problems without the cycle taking over | Reflecting and validating new patterns | Both partners' report | |
| The new pattern holds | The couple tells the story of the old cycle and the new one, and plans what to do if the old cycle returns | Reframing; validating the new story | Observation; relationship satisfaction measure |
Measures and review
| Item | Entry |
|---|---|
| Relationship satisfaction measure | Name, scores at intake, at each review and at the end |
| Plan reviewed on | |
| Signatures | Both partners and the therapist, with dates |
What Does a Completed EFT Treatment Plan Look Like?
Marcus and Lena are an invented couple. The example shows the plan written after their assessment and feedback sessions, with a target session for each objective and the measures the therapist repeats at each review.
| Item | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Couple, therapist and date written | Marcus and Lena; D.M., AMFT (supervised by R.S., LMFT); after session 5 |
| Diagnosis or reason for services | Relationship distress (follow your setting's coding rules) |
| The problem as a cycle | The more Marcus pushes to reach Lena, the more she shuts down to keep the peace; and the more she shuts down, the harder he pushes, until both are alone in it. |
| Goals in the couple's words | "Feel like we're on the same team again" (Marcus). "Stop dreading coming home," and say what is going on without a fight (Lena). Fewer escalating fights; repair the night of the stroke; two evenings a week together, phones in another room. |
| Session plan | Weekly, 50 minutes, joint; individual sessions only if safety or a new concern calls for one; plan reviewed every six sessions |
| Safety plan | Safety question at the start of every session; either partner can call a 20-minute pause and return to finish; the therapist meets either partner alone if anything changes |
Stage 1. Cycle de-escalation
| Goal | Measurable objective | Interventions | Measure | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer escalating fights | From about four a week to one or fewer | Tracking the cycle; pause agreement; reframing | Weekly count at each session | Session 12 |
| The cycle becomes the shared problem | Marcus and Lena each describe the cycle, including their own part, without blaming the other | Tracking and reflecting the cycle; reframing | Session notes | Session 10 |
| The emotions underneath come forward | Lena names her fear of failing Marcus, and Marcus names his fear of losing Lena, to each other in session | Evocative questions; empathic conjecture; heightening; enactments | Session notes | Session 10 |
Stage 2. Restructuring interactions
| Goal | Measurable objective | Interventions | Measure | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lena steps in | Lena tells Marcus what she needs when she feels she has failed, and stays in the conversation when his voice rises | Heightening; empathic conjecture; enactments | Session notes; both partners' report | Session 16 |
| Marcus softens | Marcus asks Lena for reassurance from his fear of losing her rather than with criticism, and Lena responds | Heightening; enactments; processing the encounter | Session notes; both partners' report | Session 18 |
| The night of the stroke is repaired | Marcus describes what that night meant to him; Lena acknowledges the hurt, expresses regret and comforts him; the night stops coming up in fights | Enactments; heightening; validation | Session notes; both partners' report | Session 18 |
Stage 3. Consolidation and integration
| Goal | Measurable objective | Interventions | Measure | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New solutions to old problems | They agree on how to stay in touch during Lena's shift weeks and how to spend the two evenings, without the cycle taking over | Reflecting and validating new patterns | Both partners' report | Session 20 |
| The new pattern holds | They tell the story of the old cycle and of what they do now, and plan what to do if it returns | Reframing; validating the new story | Session notes; relationship satisfaction measure | Session 20 |
Measures and review
| Item | Example entry |
|---|---|
| Relationship satisfaction measure | Couples Satisfaction Index, 16-item form (CSI-16), at session 1: Marcus 34, Lena 41, both below the published distress cut score of 51.5. Repeat at each review; aim for both partners above 51.5 at the end. |
| Plan reviewed on | Scheduled for sessions 11 and 17 |
| Signatures | Marcus, Lena and D.M., dated after session 5 |
What Are the Goals of EFT?
EFCT sets a goal for each of its three stages: Stage 1 de-escalates the negative cycle, Stage 2 restructures the couple's interactions, and Stage 3 consolidates the change (Wiebe & Johnson, 2016). The template follows the stages and steps Susan Johnson described (Johnson, 2020; Johnson et al., 1999).
Stage 1, steps 1 to 4, ends in de-escalation. By its end the couple views their interactions from a meta-perspective, seeing the negative cycle, not the partner, as the problem (Wiebe & Johnson, 2016), and the partners respond less reactively and more flexibly (Johnson & Whiffen, 1999).
Stage 2, steps 5 to 7, aims at two change events (Wiebe & Johnson, 2016). In withdrawer re-engagement, the partner who pulled away becomes emotionally engaged, states attachment needs and becomes more open and responsive. In blamer softening, "a previously critical partner expresses vulnerability and asks for comfort and connection from his or her partner" (Johnson et al., 1999, p. 73). The template also places the repair of an attachment injury, if there is one, in Stage 2.
Stage 3, steps 8 and 9, consolidates the change: the couple finds new solutions to old problems and settles into new positions and new cycles of attachment behavior (Johnson et al., 1999). Write each goal in the couple's words first, so they recognize it, then restate it in attachment terms for its stage. For formulation and planning more broadly, see the free Case Formulation and Treatment Planning webinar with Alexandre Vaz.
How Do You Write Measurable Objectives for EFT?
Tie each objective to something you can see in session or the couple can count at home, and give it a target session. Countable objectives suit change at home: in the example, escalating fights (raised voices, or someone leaving the room) fall from about four a week to one or fewer by session 12, and the couple reports the count at each session.
Observable objectives suit change in session. Write them as what a partner says or does, in words an observer could check against a recording: each partner describes the cycle, including their own part, without blaming the other; the withdrawing partner states fears and needs directly and stays in the conversation when it gets hard. Record what you see in the session note, so progress shows across sessions.
Name the interventions for each objective. Wiebe and Johnson (2016) list reflection, evocative questions, validation, heightening and empathic conjecture, along with reframing, reflecting interactional patterns, and directing and sculpting new interactions; Johnson (2007) describes restructuring interactions through enactments.
How Long Does EFT Take?
EFCT is short term, typically 8 to 20 sessions. The International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (n.d.) describes it as a short-term, structured approach of 8 to 20 sessions, and the Society of Clinical Psychology (n.d.) says it typically takes 8 to 20 sessions to move a couple through the three stages.
Use the range to set target sessions, then adjust the targets at each review. In the example, the targets run from session 10 in Stage 1 to session 20 in Stage 3.
How Do You Measure Progress in Couples Therapy?
Use three kinds of measure: markers of each stage that you observe in session, a weekly count the couple reports, and a relationship satisfaction questionnaire repeated at each review. The in-session markers come from the stages themselves, such as a meta-perspective on the cycle in Stage 1 and the change events of Stage 2.
For the questionnaire, choose one whose authors allow free clinical use. The authors of the Couples Satisfaction Index (Funk & Rogge, 2007) state on their lab's measures page that the scales "are freely available for use in both clinical and research settings" and that no additional permission is necessary. On the 16-item form (CSI-16), scores below 51.5 indicate relationship distress (Funk & Rogge, 2007).
Keep checking safety as therapy goes on. Stith et al. (2012) describe careful screening and ongoing monitoring as the basis for deciding whether joint therapy can go ahead safely, so the plan asks the safety question at every session.
Practice next
Rehearse setting up enactments: asking one partner to turn to the other and share a feeling just reached in session, then helping both partners take in what happened. Enactments appear among the interventions for Stage 1 and for every Stage 2 goal in the plan. Exercise 9 in the APA book Deliberate Practice in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (Levenson et al., 2025), "Enactments: Deepening Emotional Experience and Choreographing Engaged Encounters," rehearses this skill. Watch Sam Jinich and Hanna Levenson demonstrate exercises from the book in the free Deliberate Practice in EFCT webinar, and see the Systemic De-escalation episode of the free Practice Time videos.
Keep reading
EFT Stages and Steps, a quick reference to the three stages, the nine steps and the change events
EFT Progress Note Template for Couples Therapy, a session note that records the stage and step, the emotions reached and safety each session
EFT Case Conceptualization, the formulation the plan's goals come from, with a completed example
Free EFT Couples Therapy Toolkit, all the templates, from intake to supervision
Frequently Asked Questions
What are examples of EFT treatment goals for couples?
In Stage 1: fewer escalating fights, both partners describing the cycle as the problem they share, and each partner sharing an underlying emotion in session. In Stage 2: the withdrawing partner stepping in, the pursuing partner softening, and repair of an attachment injury if there is one. In Stage 3: new solutions to old problems and a new pattern that holds.
What goes in Stage 1 of an EFT treatment plan for couples?
Stage 1 covers steps 1 to 4: assessment, the negative cycle, the emotions underneath it, and a reframe of the problem in terms of the cycle and attachment needs. Its goals are fewer escalating fights, the cycle seen as the problem the couple shares, and the underlying emotions coming forward in session. By the end of Stage 1 the partners respond to each other less reactively and can step out of the cycle when it starts.
How often should a couples treatment plan be reviewed?
Set a review schedule when you write the plan and keep to it; in the example, the plan is reviewed every six sessions. Repeat the same measures at each review, and revise goals and targets when the couple moves to a new stage or new information comes out. Follow your employer's rules if they set a schedule.
What if the couple does not meet a target?
Review the target with the couple and look for what is in the way, such as a safety concern, an unresolved attachment injury or a stress outside therapy. Then revise the objective, the interventions or the target session, and record the change in the plan.
Is the Couples Satisfaction Index free to use?
Yes. Its authors state that the scales are freely available for use in clinical and research settings and that no additional permission is necessary; the forms are on their lab's measures page. On the 16-item form, the CSI-16, scores below 51.5 indicate relationship distress. Cite Funk and Rogge (2007) when you use it.
References
Funk, J. L., & Rogge, R. D. (2007). Testing the ruler with item response theory: Increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the Couples Satisfaction Index. Journal of Family Psychology, 21(4), 572–583. https://doi.org/10.1037/0893-3200.21.4.572
International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy. (n.d.). What is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)? https://iceeft.com/what-is-eft-public/
Johnson, S. M. (2007). The contribution of emotionally focused couples therapy. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 37(1), 47–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-006-9034-9
Johnson, S. M. (2020). The practice of emotionally focused couple therapy: Creating connection (3rd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351168366 ISBN 978-0-8153-4801-6 (paperback), 978-0-8153-4800-9 (hardback). Publisher page: https://www.routledge.com/The-Practice-of-Emotionally-Focused-Couple-Therapy-Creating-Connection/Johnson/p/book/9780815348016
Johnson, S. M., Hunsley, J., Greenberg, L., & Schindler, D. (1999). Emotionally focused couples therapy: Status and challenges. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 6(1), 67–79. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.6.1.67
Johnson, S. M., & Whiffen, V. E. (1999). Made to measure: Adapting emotionally focused couple therapy to partners' attachment styles. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 6(4), 366–381. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy.6.4.366
Levenson, H., Jinich, S., Vaz, A., & Rousmaniere, T. (2025). Deliberate practice in emotionally focused couple therapy. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000436-000 ISBN 978-1-4338-4296-2 (paperback). Book page: https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/deliberate-practice-emotionally-focused-couple-therapy
Society of Clinical Psychology. (n.d.). Diagnosis: Relationship distress with spouse or intimate partner. https://div12.org/?p=10175
Stith, S. M., McCollum, E. E., Amanor-Boadu, Y., & Smith, D. (2012). Systemic perspectives on intimate partner violence treatment. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 38(1), 220–240. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00245.x
Wiebe, S. A., & Johnson, S. M. (2016). A review of the research in emotionally focused therapy for couples. Family Process, 55(3), 390–407. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12229
