Emotion–focused therapy
Abstract
Abstract In an Emotion‐focused approach emotion is seen as foundational in the construction of the self and is a key determinant of self‐organization. As well as having emotion people also live in a constant process of making sense of our emotions. Personal meaning is seen as emerging by the self‐organization and explication of one's own emotional experience and optimal adaptation involves an integration of reason and emotion. In this framework therapists are viewed as Emotion coaches who work to enhance emotion‐focused coping by helping people become aware of, accept and make sense of their emotional experience. Emotion coaching in therapy is based on two phases: Arriving and Leaving. A major premise is that one cannot leave a place until one has arrived at it. Three major empirically‐supported principles of Emotion Awareness, Emotion Regulation and Emotion Transformation that guide emotion coaching are discussed. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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EFT, upside down therapy, and existential therapy have modest to no research support.
“Other therapy approaches mentioned, such as EFT, upside down therapy and existential therapy, have modest to no research support as of yet.35 36”
From Infertility-related distress and clinical targets for psychotherapy: A qualitative study (2021) · cites this paper as [35]
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- Authors
- Greenberg, L. S.
- Affiliations
- York University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Greenberg, L.S.
- ORCID
- Greenberg, L.S.
- Venue
- Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2004-01
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 3-16
- ISSN
- 1063-3995 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-0879
- OpenAlex
- W4292165767
- Cited by
- 489
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 41 · 2025: 33 · 2024: 35 · 2023: 41 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 49 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 5.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Counseling, Therapy, and Family Dynamics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Disorders
- Keywords
- emotion-focused therapy, emotion coaching, emotion-focused coping, emotional awareness, emotion regulation, self-organization, meaning-making, therapist role
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