In Emotionally Focused Therapy, reframing the problem is used to do what?

• A. Assigns blame to a specific member
• B. Frames the problem as a cycle in which the players are on the same side looking into the cycle
• C. Minimizes emotions and increases distance
• D. Removes the problem by external means

Answer: (B)

Reframing in Emotionally Focused Therapy is about redefining the problem so the couple sees the trouble as a shared interaction pattern rather than personal failing. By presenting the conflict as a cycle that both partners contribute to and are on the same side against, it shifts the focus from blaming one person to understanding how the pattern unfolds and how their emotions fuel it. This collaborative stance lowers defensiveness, fosters empathy, and makes it possible to intervene at the level of the interaction—opening the door to new, secure ways of responding to each other. The other options pull the focus away from the relational pattern EFT targets or rely on suppressing emotion or externalizing the problem, which runs counter to EFT’s aim of reshaping the couple’s emotional responses within the relationship.