Resolving Problematic Reactions in Emotion-Focused Therapy

Emotion-focused therapy is an evidence-based treatment for clients who may be struggling with processing their feelings. This approach helps clients interpret problematic reactions to difficult life events and work through troubling emotions such as anger and anxiety. The therapeutic goal is to help clients learn how to process their emotions more effectively. In this video, Dr. Robert Elliott introduces systematic evocative unfolding, a technique designed to reprocess a puzzling reaction to a situation in a person's life. The technique involves client and therapist together trying to re-experience the situation as a shared narrative, in order to help the client understand their reaction. In this session, Dr. Elliott helps a woman better understand her detachment from her emotions, focusing on her lack of grief about her mother's death.