Anna Soboleva
| Profession | Systemic Family Therapist, EFT Therapist, EMDR Practitioner |
|---|---|
| Country | Russia |
| Education | Higher psychological education |
| Specialization | EFT, EMDR, Systemic Family Therapy |
| Organization | Center for Scientific Psychology and EMDR Therapy "Encyclopedia" |
| Working Languages | Russian |
| Format | In-person (Moscow) & Online |
Anna Soboleva — Russian systemic family therapist, EFT therapist (Emotionally Focused Therapy) and EMDR practitioner , specialist at the Center for Scientific Psychology and EMDR Therapy "Encyclopedia" . She specializes in working with couples, family crises, and the impact of psychological trauma on relationships.
In her practice, Anna combines two powerful evidence-based approaches: EMDR — for processing individual trauma, and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — for restoring a secure emotional bond between partners. This integrative approach allows her to work simultaneously with each partner's personal history and with the couple's dynamics as a whole.
1. Education and Professional Training
Anna Soboleva holds a higher psychological education . She has completed multi-level training in several psychotherapeutic modalities:
- Systemic Family Therapy — foundational training, working with the family system, intergenerational patterns, and family structure;
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — training based on ICEEFT (International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy) standards, grounded in the work of Sue Johnson;
- EMDR Basic Training — foundational course based on EMDRIA standards, including the standard protocol and supervised practice;
- Advanced EMDR Techniques — specialized training in working with relational trauma and attachment disorders;
- Regular Supervision — individual and group supervision in EFT and EMDR.
• Higher psychological education
• Systemic Family Therapy (foundational course)
• EFT Therapy (ICEEFT standards, Sue Johnson)
• EMDR Basic Training (EMDRIA-accredited course)
• Advanced: Relational Trauma and EMDR
• Ongoing supervision and continuing education
2. Specialization
2.1 Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) — an evidence-based couples therapy method developed by Sue Johnson and Les Greenberg in the 1980s. EFT is grounded in attachment theory by John Bowlby and views the relationship between partners as an attachment bond.
The core idea of EFT: conflicts in a couple are often not a struggle for power or resources, but a protest against the loss of emotional connection . Behind a partner's anger, criticism, or withdrawal usually lie unmet needs for closeness, safety, and acceptance.
EFT holds the status of an empirically validated treatment according to the APA. Meta-analyses show that 70–75% of couples who undergo EFT therapy move out of distress, and results are maintained at long-term follow-up.
2.2 EMDR in Couples Work
Anna integrates EMDR therapy into couples work in cases where:
- One or both partners have an individual trauma history that affects the relationship (effects of abuse, adverse childhood experiences, previous relationships);
- The couple has experienced a joint traumatic event (loss of a child, accident, infidelity);
- One partner has triggers that regularly lead to conflict escalation;
- Relationship patterns are rooted in unprocessed childhood attachment trauma .
2.3 Systemic Family Therapy
Systemic family therapy views the family as a cohesive system , where each member's behavior influences everyone else. One family member's problem is often a symptom of a broader systemic imbalance.
Anna uses the systemic approach for:
- Analyzing family roles and boundaries;
- Identifying intergenerational patterns (repeating scripts across generations);
- Working with parent-child relationships;
- Supporting families in crisis situations (divorce, relocation, adolescent rebellion).
3. Presenting Concerns
| Category | Concerns |
|---|---|
| Couples Work | Frequent conflicts and arguments "out of nowhere"; emotional distancing between partners; processing infidelity and rebuilding trust; difficulties in intimacy; differing views on parenting; midlife crisis in the couple; decisions about the future of the relationship |
| Family Therapy | Parent-child conflicts; adolescent crisis; divorce: how to support children and yourself; sibling relationships; families with an adopted child; intergenerational conflicts |
| Individual Therapy | Difficulties in building relationships; recurring negative patterns in relationships; aftermath of a breakup or divorce; fear of closeness and vulnerability; jealousy and insecurity in a partner; effects of toxic relationships |
4. Therapeutic Approach
Anna Soboleva's work is grounded in an integrative approach combining three evidence-based methods:
| Method | Application |
|---|---|
| EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy) | The primary method for couples work: identifying negative interaction cycles, accessing primary emotions beneath reactive responses, building a secure emotional bond |
| EMDR | Processing individual traumatic memories and triggers that interfere with healthy relationships; reducing emotional reactivity |
| Systemic Family Therapy | Analyzing the family system, intergenerational patterns, roles, and boundaries; working with the extended family |
1. Joint meeting with both partners (60–90 min)
2. Getting to know the couple's history and current situation
3. Identifying the negative interaction cycle
4. Setting therapy goals and a work plan
5. Q&A and discussing logistics
Anna works with couples at any stage of their relationship: from premarital counseling to therapy after many years of marriage. Individual work on relationship themes is also available.
5. See Also
- Center for Scientific Psychology and EMDR Therapy "Encyclopedia"
- Ilya Tsar — project lead
- EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Sue Johnson
- Systemic Family Therapy