Main description:

Emotion-Focused Therapy provides an introduction to the theory, history, research, and practice of this emotion-centered, humanistic approach to psychotherapy.

Emotion-focused therapy is a complete theory of human functioning based on the adaptive role of emotion and founded on the idea that emotional change is central to enduring change. This therapy emphasizes the awareness, acceptance, understanding, and transformation of emotion, and proposes that emotions themselves have an adaptive potential that, if activated, can help clients to change.

Emotion-focused therapists help clients to experience their emotions in the safe setting of therapy so that, rather than avoiding or controlling their feelings, clients learn to use them as a guide to what is important or necessary in their lives.

In this book, Leslie S. Greenberg presents and explores this versatile and useful approach, its theory, history, therapy process, primary change mechanisms, the empirical basis for its effectiveness, and recent developments that have refined the theory and expanded how it may be practiced.

This revised edition includes a wealth of recent research findings on important constructs such as emotional needs, as well as new developments in the use of emotion-focused therapy in treating anxiety disorders.

Contents:

Introduction

Foundations

Emotional Intelligence and the Purpose of Emotion
The Nature of Emotions
Distinguishing Among Varieties of Emotional Expression
The Therapeutic Relationship, Steps of Emotion Coaching, and Coach's Own Emotional Awareness
Case Formulation and Marker-Guided Interventions

II. The Arriving and Leaving Phases

Arriving at a Primary Emotion
Evaluating Whether a Painful Primary Emotion Is Healthy
Working With Primary Emotions
Accessing New Healing Emotions and Creating New Narratives

III. Working With Specific Emotions

Lessons About Anger and Sadness From Emotion Coaching
Transforming Fear and Shame in Emotion Coaching
Working With Emotional Injuries: Letting Go and Forgiveness

IV. Emotional Intelligence in Specific Contexts

Coaching for Emotional Intelligence in Couples
Coaching for Emotional Intelligence in Parenting
Coaching for Emotional Intelligence in Leadership

Epilogue

Appendix

References

Index.