EXPRESSIVE THERAPIES
EMOTIONAL RELEASE & INTEGRATION PROCESSES
These processes can involve both emotional release and emotional integration. They can help deal with the underlying feelings that may be driving behaviour and support a sense of balance and integration. Through these processes we can release current feelings as well as working back through old feelings and behaviour patterns that add fuel to acting-out and withdrawal. These imprints from the past contribute strongly to sabotage in daily life.
Emotional activation methods can be used to release both conscious and unconscious emotions. These processes provide a safe, structured way of encountering troublesome issues and supports the deep healing of anger, grief, loss, rage and resentment.
After processing, our body/mind/feelings can return to a relaxed positive state. The integration processes focus on re-connection between left and right hemisphere modes and between mind and body, mind and heart, heart and body.
In Greenberg's Emotion-Focussed Therapy he argues for the central role of emotion in psychotherapeutic change. He describes how emotion "schemes" need to be activated in therapy to access intrapsychic information and make maladaptive components available for change. Greenberg cites extensive empirical support for the effectiveness of using a "complex integration of emotionally focussed intervention strategies".
Greenberg, L. (2002). Emotion-Focussed Therapy. Washington:
American Psychological Association.
EMOTION-FOCUS IN THERAPY
Greenberg (1998) is the founder of Emotion-Focussed Therapy http://www.emotionfocusedtherapy.org/ He argues for the central role of emotion in psychotherapeutic change. He argues that emotion "schemes" need to be activated in therapy in order to access intrapsychic information and make maladaptive components of the psyche available for change.
Greenberg (1998) cites empirical support for the effectiveness of using a "complex integration of emotionally focussed intervention strategies" (p. 48): Greenberg, Watson and Lietaer (1998); Paivio and Patterson (1998); Paivio, Tran and Jellis (1998).
Greenberg's Process-Experiential Approach for adults has been well researched (Clarke & Greenberg, 1986; Elliott et al., 1990; Greenberg & Webster, 1982; Lowenstein, 1985; Wiseman, 1986; Paivio & Greenberg, 1992). Generally, these studies report significant clinical changes in clients beyond those found in clients treated with behavioural problem-solving methods.
McMain, et al. (in Dryden, 1996) advocated supporting the client in full expression of emotion, and recommend following this with an integration stage.
'Not only must people feel their feelings, they also need to make sense of these feelings. Developing a new story of their life is important in change. Therapy needs to help people become the authors of their life scripts and to re-author their story by organizing it in a new way, making it more coherent and more salutary (Neimeyer & Mahoney, 1995). Feelings one's emotions in therapy thus has been found to lead, not to get rid of them, but to create new stories with new meanings.'
- Greenberg, L. (2002). Emotion-Focussed Therapy. Washington: American Psychological Association.
Through the gateway of feeling your weakness lies your strength.
Through the gateway of feeling your pain lies your pleasure and joy.
Through the gateway of feeling your fear lies your security and safety.
Through the gateway of feeling your loneliness lies your capacity
to have fulfilment, love, and companionship.
Through the gateway of feeling your hopelessness lies true and justified hope.
Through the gateway of healing the lacks in your childhood lies your fulfilment now.
- Pierrakos, S., Thesenga, D. (1992). Fear No Evil - The Pathwork Method of Transforming the Lower Self.
Pathwork Press: Virginia.
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