Sue Johnson Books
Dr. Sue Johnson is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples.
Known for: Hold Me Tight, Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, Love Sense
Books by Sue Johnson
Hold Me Tight
In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Sue Johnson presents Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a research-based approach to improving romantic relationships. Through seven transformative conversations, coup...
Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
This book presents Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples, offering seven transformative conversations that help partners build secure emotional bonds and lasting love. Drawing on attachment th...
Love Sense
A popular psychology and relationships book arguing that romantic love is grounded in attachment science. Johnson explains how emotional connection shapes adult pair bonds, why partners become trapped...
Key Insights from Sue Johnson
Understanding Love: The Roots of Adult Attachment
At the heart of Emotionally Focused Therapy lies attachment theory, originally developed by John Bowlby to explain the bond between infants and caregivers. But attachment needs do not vanish when we grow up—they evolve. In adult partnerships, lovers become each other’s safe haven. The question ‘Are ...
From Hold Me Tight
Recognizing the Demon Dialogues
In the early stages of my clinical work, I noticed recurring patterns of interaction that led couples into despair. I came to call them the Demon Dialogues because they seemed to take on lives of their own, turning even the most loving partners into adversaries. There are three principal formats: *F...
From Hold Me Tight
Understanding Love: The Roots of Adult Attachment
At the core of Emotionally Focused Therapy lies attachment theory. Originally used by psychologist John Bowlby to describe the bond between infants and caregivers, attachment needs don’t vanish as we grow up—they simply take new forms. In adult relationships, a partner becomes that safe haven we tur...
From Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
Recognizing the Demon Dialogues
In my early clinical work, I noticed that many couples fall into repetitive patterns that seem almost alive—relentless interactions that turn lovers into adversaries. I call them the “Demon Dialogues”: Find the Bad Guy, the Protest Polka, and Freeze and Flee. In the Find the Bad Guy loop, partners ...
From Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
Attachment bond
Romantic love is placed at the center of human survival rather than at the edge of civilized life as ornament, distraction, or reward. The longing to matter deeply to one chosen person, to be able to turn and find comfort, reassurance, and emotional shelter, belongs to the same basic design that kee...
From Love Sense
Attachment science
Love is treated as a biological and emotional necessity grounded in attachment. Human beings are not designed to regulate fear, grief, and uncertainty alone for long. Close connection calms the nervous system, organizes experience, and offers a secure base from which life can be met. This is visible...
From Love Sense
About Sue Johnson
Dr. Sue Johnson is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples. She is a professor at the University of Ottawa and a leading authority on attachment and relationship science.
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Dr. Sue Johnson is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and the primary developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples.
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