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theses

The concept of “emotion regulation” has received increased attention in clinical psychology research and practice over the past three decades. Notable practitioners in the field have recently proposed psychotherapy models that place emphasis on “emotion regulation” as a treatment goal in psychotherapy, including Marsha Linehan (Dialectical Behavior Therapy, DBT, 1993a), David Barlow (Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders, UP, 2010), Leslie Greenberg (Emotion-Focused Therapy, EFT, 2002), and Diana Fosha (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Therapy, AEDP, 2000). Despite the increasing importance of this construct, a review of the relevant literature suggests that it is inconsistently defined and operationalized. This dissertation clarifies how the construct of “emotion regulation” has been conceptualized by different authors. More, it considers the question: Does the shared focus on “emotion regulation” across diverse psychotherapy models represent a convergence of theory and practice among traditionally distinct schools of thought? In the service of answering this question, this project critically examines and compares the four psychotherapy models listed above (DBT, the UP, EFT, and AEDP) and their distinct positions on “emotion regulation.” Because this comparative work does not yet exist in the literature, this project sheds new light on the above questions. Namely, it shows that, despite their diverse theoretical foundations, DBT, the UP, EFT, and AEDP are all based on two main ideas regarding the genesis and treatment of psychopathology: 1) maladaptive cycles involving negative arousal, anxiety, and emotion avoidance play a principle role in the genesis and maintenance of “emotion dysregulation,” and 2) the way to treat “dysregulation” is to break those negative cycles by undoing avoidance. This dissertation also shows that there is significant convergence among the four models regarding their theories of therapeutic action: all four model focus on helping patients develop their capacities for mindfulness, metacognition, and viscerally experiencing emotions. This dissertation considers to what extent these theoretical convergences translate into practice and comments on the clinical implications and utility of this study. It concludes with questions and future directions for research in this rapidly developing field.

ETD_7494

Psy.D.

Includes bibliographical references

by Melissa L. Greenberg

doi:10.7282/T32B9191

ETD doctoral

The author owns the copyright to this work.