Maggie’s Approach: EFIT Therapy for Healthcare Workers Who Carry So Much

Written By Maggie Clapperton

Healthcare workers spend their days caring for others. Whether you're a nurse, physician, therapist, personal support worker, or another healthcare professional, you're often expected to stay calm under pressure, make difficult decisions, and continue showing up even when you're exhausted.

Over time, many healthcare workers develop a habit of putting their own emotions on hold. There are patients to care for, families to support, and endless responsibilities to manage. Stress, grief, frustration, and overwhelm often get pushed aside in order to keep going.

The problem is that emotions don't disappear just because we ignore them.

When difficult emotions remain unprocessed, they can contribute to burnout, anxiety, compassion fatigue, and a sense of emotional numbness. Many healthcare workers find themselves feeling disconnected—not only from their work, but from themselves and the people they care about.

This is where Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) can be particularly valuable.

EFIT is based on the idea that emotions are not problems to be fixed or avoided. Instead, emotions provide important information about our needs, experiences, and relationships. Through EFIT, healthcare workers can learn to better understand their emotional responses, make sense of the stress they carry, and process experiences that may have been pushed aside for months or even years.

For many people in helping professions, overworking is about more than dedication. It can be driven by a deep sense of responsibility, a desire to help others, or a belief that personal needs should come second. While these qualities often make someone an excellent healthcare provider, they can also make it difficult to recognize when support is needed.

EFIT creates a space where healthcare workers don't have to be the strong one for everyone else. Instead, they can explore their own emotional experiences with curiosity and compassion, building a healthier relationship with themselves in the process.

The goal isn't to become less caring or less committed to your work. It's to develop the emotional resilience needed to continue caring for others without sacrificing your own well-being. When healthcare workers feel more connected to their emotions, they are often better equipped to manage stress, maintain healthy boundaries, and sustain the meaningful work they do every day.

Because caring for yourself isn't a distraction from caring for others—it's an essential part of it.

Sources

Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)

Johnson, S. M. (2019).
Attachment Theory in Practice: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) with Individuals, Couples, and Families. Guilford Press.

  • The foundational text on EFT and EFIT, explaining how emotional processing and attachment needs contribute to psychological well-being.

Wiebe, S. A., & Johnson, S. M. (2016).
"Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy: An Attachment-Based Experiential Approach to Depression."
Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 46(1), 11–19.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-015-9315-8

  • Describes the theory and clinical application of EFIT for emotional distress and psychological resilience.

Emotional Suppression and Mental Health

Gross, J. J., & John, O. P. (2003).
"Individual Differences in Two Emotion Regulation Processes: Implications for Affect, Relationships, and Well-Being."
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2), 348–362.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.348

  • Found that emotional suppression is associated with lower well-being, reduced relationship satisfaction, and poorer emotional functioning.

Aldao, A., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Schweizer, S. (2010).
"Emotion-Regulation Strategies Across Psychopathology: A Meta-Analytic Review."
Clinical Psychology Review, 30(2), 217–237.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.11.004

  • Demonstrates the importance of adaptive emotional processing for mental health.

Burnout and Healthcare Workers

Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. P. (2016).
"Understanding the Burnout Experience: Recent Research and Its Implications for Psychiatry."
World Psychiatry, 15(2), 103–111.
https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20311

  • One of the most widely cited reviews of burnout, including emotional exhaustion and workplace stress.

West, C. P., Dyrbye, L. N., & Shanafelt, T. D. (2018).
"Physician Burnout: Contributors, Consequences and Solutions."
Journal of Internal Medicine, 283(6), 516–529.
https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12752

  • Reviews the prevalence and impact of burnout among healthcare professionals.

Compassion Fatigue and Helping Professions

Figley, C. R. (2002).
Compassion Fatigue: Psychotherapists' Chronic Lack of Self-Care.
Journal of Clinical Psychology, 58(11), 1433–1441.
https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.10090

  • Explores the emotional costs of caring professions and the importance of addressing emotional strain.

Cocker, F., & Joss, N. (2016).
"Compassion Fatigue Among Healthcare, Emergency and Community Service Workers: A Systematic Review."
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 13(6), 618.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13060618

  • Reviews evidence on compassion fatigue and emotional exhaustion across healthcare settings.

Maggie Clapperton https://www.therapywithmaggie.ca
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