Why Is Emotional Regulation So Important In Psychotherapy?
Psychotherapy does not simply consist of meeting with the psychologist and telling him out loud about the frustrations that we have been experiencing during the last days or weeks; Nor is it attending information sessions in which, as patients, we internalize theoretical knowledge about what is happening to us and let go of false beliefs.
Although these two phenomena are present to a greater or lesser extent in any psychotherapy process, it goes far beyond this type of activities. It is not simply based on the expression and memorization of ideas, but is as much or more related to the coming and going of emotions than to the transmission of knowledge that can be expressed in phrases and words.
In other words, emotional management, what takes place in the dynamism of our mind, is a key aspect in psychological therapy, and it cannot be covered by language or by what we can keep in writing. Progressing throughout visits to the psychologist means master the practice of this kind of living and changing processes based on the modulation and transformation of emotions in the here and now.
Why is emotional regulation essential in psychological therapy?
Do people addicted to tobacco know that smoking is bad? Currently, the answer in the vast majority of cases is yes: every year large amounts of money are invested in making everyone aware of the existence of the harmful effects of this product, at least in Western countries. However, that does not mean that thousands of people who are perfectly aware that smoking damages their health try to stop using tobacco and do not feel capable.
This fact captures well what takes place in a psychotherapy process: It is not so much about learning the theory, but rather mastering the practice of gaining control and autonomy in the way we live life, think and relate to others. In the same way that reading a self-help book will probably not be enough to overcome psychopathology, it is necessary to expose ourselves to a context in which we can train new and more adaptive ways of living life.
And psychotherapy sessions are that context: a place where mental health and psychological well-being professionals give us support, study our particular case and offer us tailored solutions. Solutions that involve increasing our knowledge about what happens to us, but also being able to perform exercises that allow us to learn to better manage our emotions and feelings, among other things. Not everything is based on talking, reading or listening to advice; Most change comes through personal transformations based on practice, a practice supported by the advice and guidelines of the psychotherapist, and the material and psychological tools he offers us.
The main areas of emotion management in a therapeutic process
These are the most important aspects in which patients improve their management of emotions during the deployment of the phases of psychotherapy.
1. The relationship with our own perception of the problem
The process of self-knowledge regarding the problem that has led us to seek professional help is key , and in fact, many times part of what makes us suffer lies there. Psychologists propose a whole series of exercises that help advance on this front; For example, many times we give a series of instructions and guidelines to apply on a daily basis to write down certain types of thoughts that come to mind, in order to learn patterns of the appearance of ideas, feelings, etc.
This makes it possible to question certain erroneous beliefs about ourselves, stop unpleasant or dysfunctional feelings that usually lead us to engage in inappropriate behavior, etc. In this way, we stop feeding the emotional processes that were keeping “alive” the set of actions and thought patterns that put us in problematic situations and that do not bring us anything good.
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2. The relationship with the psychotherapist
The type of emotional bond we establish with the person handling our case is very important. ; In fact, it greatly influences the result we are going to obtain, given that if this interaction is problematic, it is most likely that we will not be as open and honest as the situation requires, and that we will not fully commit to the therapy.
Luckily, this is an area to which psychologists pay a lot of attention and in which we are used to intervening for mutual benefit, meaning that you will have a lot of help to “connect” in the right way, neither from a treatment that is too cold and distant nor from the expectation of establishing a friendship.
3. The relationship with the therapy process
Knowing how to take advantage of the emotions related to therapy to our advantage is something that is noticeable, among other things, in our ability to motivate ourselves and set out to reach the next goal. And of course, it reduces the risk of us stopping attending sessions early.
4. The relationship with one’s own thoughts and feelings
As we master the regulation of emotions, We are becoming more capable of modulating the way in which we “move through our minds” with our attentional focus. This makes us focus on those aspects in which we can do something to improve and that allow us to be constructive, instead of limiting ourselves to being anchored in pessimism.
This area includes both what we think and feel when interacting with the environments to which we usually expose ourselves (our office, the stores we pass by, etc.) and with the people with whom we usually interact or could interact ( our partner, our parents, our bosses, etc.).
6. The relationship with our self-esteem
Finally, All of the above processes, partially overlapping each other, give rise to a balanced self-esteem adjusted to our real capabilities and which is also capable of leading us to take on new challenges, given that we are aware that although we can always learn new things, we are imperfect and there is room to continue progressing.
