About Ed Peterson

Ed Peterson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Certified Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Therapist, and Certified EFT Supervisor at Peterson Family Therapy in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Entries by Ed Peterson

Alone I Am Weak—But If Deeply Connected to Others, I Can Thrive

July 2, 2025/by Ed Peterson

Learn why isolation worsens anxiety and depression, and how deep connection is essential for mental health.

Accepting People As They Are While Still Expecting Growth

July 1, 2025/by Ed Peterson

We have to remember that people don’t completely change their personality. To be emotionally healthy and have healthy relationships, we need to have a certain level of understanding that people aren’t perfect. We must see people as they are now.

How to Choose the Right Therapist in Salt Lake City

June 16, 2025/by Ed Peterson

Choosing a therapist is one of the most important decisions you can make for your mental health and relationships. Here’s what I believe you should prioritize when choosing a therapist in SLC, in order of importance.

Understanding Depression: A Pathway to Healing and Growth

May 28, 2025/by Ed Peterson

I want to share my perspective on understanding depression, how it impacts relationships, and most importantly, how we can treat it effectively.

How Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy Transforms Relationships in Salt Lake City

May 14, 2025/by Ed Peterson

After 20+ years of providing couples therapy in Salt Lake City, I’ve seen firsthand how Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) can heal relationships that seemed beyond repair. As a certified EFT therapist and supervisor at Peterson Family Therapy, I want to share how this approach creates lasting change for couples in our community.

Vulnerability In Therapy Pays Big Dividends

May 25, 2019/by Ed Peterson

Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), developed by Dr. Sue Johnson, is a highly effective couples therapy modality that focuses on helping clients learn to communicate the softer primary emotions (think vulnerability, or the need for acceptance) that always lie underneath the more surface emotions (think anger, contempt, and defensiveness) that put us in a negative cycle of hurt and disconnection.

Depression and the Inner Critic

January 31, 2017/by Ed Peterson

When I have been the most depressed one constant was a brutally critical interior conversation. This inner critic was loud and menacing, usually communicating to me that I was worthless and weak, not worthy of love, and that getting out of the depression was unlikely. Over many years of cognitive and spiritual work I have […]

Express More Gratitude to Experience Less Negativity

August 3, 2015/by Ed Peterson

I am convinced that the best antidote to negativity is gratitude. We all know how good it feels to be full of gratitude. Try this as a daily practice; before you get out of bed think of 5 specific things you are grateful for. It will change your feelings your energy level and your attitude. […]

Taking Calculated Risks in Therapy

June 19, 2015/by Ed Peterson

Recently a patient showed me how and when to take a calculated risk during an individual therapy session (of course never ever do anything unethical or inappropriate or potentially damaging — “first, do no harm”). In this moment she led me out of my comfort zone and into new and important emotional territory for her. […]