141. Stage 2 Series: The Heart of Stage 2: Conversations with EFT’s Leading Voices (Special Guests Drs. Marlene Best, Kathryn Rheem, Jim Furrow)

What happens in the deepest moments of Stage 2 EFT work?In this special roundtable episode of The Leading Edge in Emotionally Focused Therapy, hosts Dr. James Hawkins and Dr. Ryan Rana sit down with three pioneers in EFT process research and training: Dr. Jim Furrow, Dr. Kathryn Rheem, and Dr. Marlene Best.

Together, they unpack the heart of Stage 2 change events in EFT: withdrawer re-engagement, pursuer softening, therapeutic presence, fear, longing, attachment risk, and the healing power of vulnerable reach-and-response moments.

This conversation is more than theory. It is a masterclass in how therapists help clients move from talking about emotion to speaking from emotion. The group explores how fear and longing work together, why vulnerability requires both courage and safety, and how the therapist’s emotional presence becomes the bridge that helps clients risk connection.

You’ll hear powerful reflections on:

Why fear must become experiential in Stage 2

The difference between Stage 1 and Stage 2 emotional work

How longing creates movement through fear

Why enactments are essential for deep limbic revision

The therapist’s role in co-regulating attachment risk

How healing becomes more powerful than hurt in secure connection

This episode is rich with clinical wisdom, emotional depth, and heartfelt reflections from some of the leading voices who helped shape modern EFT.

If you’re an EFT therapist wanting to deepen your Stage 2 work—or simply someone passionate about emotional connection and healing relationships—this is an episode you will want to revisit again and again.