The AAMFT Podcast

David Schnarch is a world-renown sex and marital therapist. Eli sits down with David and talks about his career and influence on the field. He discusses how failures led him to come up with the crucible approach, and the revolutionary idea that sexual problems are predictable and normal. He considers the essential qualities a therapist should have to effectively practice sex therapy, touching on how his own openness enables his work. David shares his biggest influences and makes a surprising prediction of the path of the next innovation in systemic therapy. Finally, he talks about his next project of utilizing brain-based therapy with high-risk couples.

In the second part of Eli's interview with Dr. Sue Johnson, they continue their discussion of the "person behind the model." Sue talks about the lessons learned from her first marriage and reflects on 30 years of marriage with her second husband. She shares the epiphany that led to the development of EFT, and tells a story of a time when two-thirds of the room walked out of her conference presentation at the mention of it. Later, she contemplates what she wants EFT to accomplish and how she'd like MFTs to use their societal influence to educate the public on understanding love relationships. 

Sue Johnson is the creator of Emotionally Focused Couples and Family Therapy. In part one of Eli’s interview, Sue recalls how her upbringing in an English pub affected her relationships with her parents and community, and established her comfort level with interpersonal drama and emotion. Sue explains her mother and father’s stark differences in parenting and the effect her mother’s preference that she become a hairdresser had on her eventual career choice. Sue shares the secret for working with aggressive people