ABSTRACT
Creating and maintaining a close, satisfying relationship may be especially challenging for couples where one partner’s work routinely places him or her in harm’s way . These life-threatening conditions put couples at risk as struggles to cope with traumatic experiences disrupt partners’ felt sense of security and, at the same time, increase the ongoing need for comfort and support . Couples therapists working with first responders (e .g ., firefighters, police) and military personnel confront the debilitating impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions such as depression . Partners struggle to relate as their relational conflict and emotional distance exacerbate anxiety; this anxiety then adds to the inability to deal with the emotional costs of trauma exposure . This chapter explores the use of emotionally focused therapy (EFT) for couples with partners whose professions constantly place them in harm’s way . A clinical example illustrates how EFT is effectively used with a firefighter couple .
