Good Neighbor Podcast: TN-WNC-SWVA

EP# 371: Inside Emotionally Focused Therapy For Couples: Healing Hearts

• Skip Mauney & Dana Vince • Episode 371

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Ever felt like the same argument keeps looping no matter how carefully you choose your words? We sit down with counselor and supervisor Dana Vince, owner of Healing Hearts Counseling, to unpack how Emotionally Focused Therapy helps couples break those cycles and rebuild real connection grounded in safety, clarity, and care.

Dana shares the story behind growing from a solo practice in Florida to a thriving group practice in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina alongside her partner, Adam York. We dig into the EFT approach—what it is, why it’s backed by research, and how it moves beyond talk and into targeted change. Instead of playing referee, a skilled therapist maps the interactional patterns that fuel disconnection, helps partners name the softer emotions under anger or withdrawal, and guides them to reach for each other in new, effective ways. That shift—from blame to understanding—makes space for trust, intimacy, and lasting repair.

We also tackle common myths about couples therapy, like the idea that a therapist will take sides or simply rehash last night’s fight. Dana explains how her team of fifteen clinicians creates a safe, nonjudgmental space while using structured interventions that clients can practice at home. Along the way, she offers a grounded reminder: every relationship struggles at times, and there’s no shame in asking for help. For those ready to learn more, Dana points to resources on her site and EFT literature that demystify the process and show what good couples work looks like day to day.

If you’re curious about how to turn conflict into connection—whether you’re in crisis or just want a stronger bond—this conversation delivers practical insights and hope. Subscribe, share with a friend who could use encouragement, and leave a review to tell us what topic you want us to explore next.

SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Skip Marty.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, hello, everyone, and welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast of East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. So today I am super excited uh to uh learn all about our guest uh today and their business. And I'm sure you'll be just as excited as I am because today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Miss Dana Vince, who is the owner operator of Healing Hearts Counseling. Dana, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here, Skip.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, like I said, we are thrilled to have you, and I'm very excited to learn all about you and what you do. So if you don't mind, why don't you start us off by telling us about Healing Hearts?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. Um, Healing Hearts is a group therapy practice. Um we specialize in relationship counseling and we do that work with individuals, couples, families. Um, we do utilize a specific therapeutic model that's based in scientific research called emotionally focused therapy. It has its roots in attachment theory. Um, so yeah, we have we specialize in relationships using EFT.

SPEAKER_02:

EFT, you said that was emotionally focused.

SPEAKER_01:

Correct. Emotionally focused therapy, which was founded by Sue Johnson.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. Not familiar with that at all. Um tell us what what is emotional therapy, um, emotional focused therapy.

SPEAKER_01:

Um so it's a very specific map to helping couples um break negative patterns that exist in their relationship. So we sort of look at you know the interactional patterns that go on with a couple that um lead to disconnection, and we just help them identify, you know, what's creating those patterns, how to break those patterns, and how to get back into intimate, close connection with each other in a meaningful way.

SPEAKER_02:

Awesome. Now, how uh how did you get into the therapy business?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, so I I wanted to be a therapist for as long as I can remember. Um, but I started my practice 20 years ago when I still lived in Florida. Um, and I was a sole practitioner at the time, and my practice steadily grew. Um, and as I, you know, gained more experience in working with couples, you know, I would hear a lot of stories about um bad couples therapy. And so when I got full and had to start referring people out, I would worry about where I was sending them to. And that led me to start bringing other therapists onto my practice to both teach, mentor, and make sure that clients were in good hands. And that's how I grew to the size group practice I have now. And along the way, I got my training um in emotionally focused therapy, and it made so much sense to me. It um just gave a clear picture of you know what I was seeing all the time in my office and a clear map of how to really help couples, and I've seen great success with that. Um, so I went on to become a supervisor and have been doing that for quite some time. So I help people become competent in utilizing EFT to serve couples well.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. Now, uh, how many therapists do you have on staff?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh so I I brought on a partner several years ago. So I have a business partner Adam York, and together we have 15 um clinicians that work for us.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, that's huge. Wow, nothing.

SPEAKER_01:

And how long, how long has it been since you started your uh I've been doing it for 20 years, and we've I've been with my partner now for uh six years.

SPEAKER_02:

Very good. Wow. Growing along the way, 15 therapists. That's that's wild. Um, so I'm sure you hear a lot of things in in your day-to-day business. Um, what are some myths or misconceptions that you're aware of in in the therapy industry?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I mean, sometimes people think therapy is just someone listening, um, and they might not know how that helps. But the therapy that we do is um very strategic and intervening. So we don't just, well, we do listen and try to provide a safe non-jet non-judgmental environment to listen to people. We also have strategies to really help people out of their out of their stuck places. Um, and sometimes with couples counseling, people think the therapist is like a referee or a mediator, that they're just gonna come in and walk back, you know, walk through their most recent fight. Um, and that's also not what we do. We're there to just provide a collaborative, safe space to help people really understand and unpack what's blocking the way to them feeling the close connection they really desire to have with their partner.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, yeah, I've I've uh I've heard people say that that were going to therapy, the uh marriage counseling, that they, you know, they really took his side or took my side, or you know, and and that's not that's not the goal at all, is to take us out.

SPEAKER_01:

Not at all. No, and if that's what the therapist is doing, they might not be getting good quality therapy.

SPEAKER_02:

Agreed. So um obviously you got a big business, 15 therapists working hard. Uh, do you still do therapy yourself as well?

SPEAKER_01:

I do. So I I split my time between um seeing clients of my own and mentoring the therapists that work for us.

SPEAKER_02:

Wow, so very busy. If you have any time to to do anything else, what do you like to do for fun?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh so we were talking about today's rain. I like to walk my dogs too. That's one of my favorite things to do. Um, I'm a runner, I'm into fitness, so I I love to run trails, hike trails, lift weights, things like that. I also really love to read. Um, and outside of those things, uh, my number one is spending time with my family.

SPEAKER_02:

Always the right answer. And you live in a great place for um hiking and running and oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01:

Love the smokies.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh I do too. You love it. Most beautiful place on earth to me. Um, so uh what's one thing um that if you could think of one thing that you would like our listeners and viewers uh to remember uh about you and about uh healing hearts counseling, what would it be?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, you know, that if your relationship is struggling, every marriage struggles somewhere along the way, and there is no shame whatsoever in seeking help. And that, you know, what we provide is a safe and competent place for couples to get that help. And we bring experience and knowledge from both our training but also our many, many years of work with other couples to help couples strengthen their relationship.

SPEAKER_02:

Awesome. And for uh those of our listeners uh that are in viewers, uh, because we're live streaming as well. Um we've got 10 folks watching. Um so uh if if they if they're intrigued, they have issues, they would you know are looking for help in with a relationship, um, how can they learn more?

SPEAKER_01:

Sure. So our website is marriage counselingnoxville.com. If they want to learn more about emotionally focused therapy, that website is ice.com. There's a lot of research literature on there that they can dig into if they want to learn more about EFT, also on our site as well.

SPEAKER_02:

Ice.com?

SPEAKER_01:

Correct.com, yes.

SPEAKER_02:

Very cool. Yeah, I'm gonna check that out because I'm I'm intrigued by that. I would I'd like to learn more about it. Well, I really appreciate you taking time out of your extremely busy schedule running your practice. Uh, and uh we really appreciate what you're doing for you know uh relationships. That's important, and it's great for the community uh to solve those issues. So thank you for that. And we wish you, your practice, all of your therapists, and your family all the best moving forward.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much, Skip. Again, thank you so much for having me. It's been a pleasure.

SPEAKER_02:

Absolutely, and maybe we can um have you back sometime and delve a little deeper into EFT.

SPEAKER_01:

That'll be great.

SPEAKER_02:

All right, thanks so much. Have a great weekend.

SPEAKER_01:

You too.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNP Tridash Cities.com. That's GNP TriDash Cities dot com or call four two two two two two two two two two two three seven one nine five eight seven three.