99 Emotion, regulation and therapy

Abstract

Emotion and emotion regulation occur in dynamic contexts that involve modulation based on the identification and perception of emotional experiences. Consequently, emotion processing and regulation are best understood as adaptive and variable across social contexts. However, in intervention science for emotion regulation, reliance on a fixed and trait-like characterization of emotion regulation (i.e., identifying deficits in an individual’s skills instead of focusing on the ability to adjust skills based on characteristics of the context), is common. A focus on either contextual experiences or fixed characterization of emotion regulation can change treatment implementation and efficacy. In this chapter, our discussion of emotion experiences, expression, and emotion regulation considers the complex contexts in which emotion processes unfold. In particular, we note specific contexts that are influenced by cultural and developmental transactions, and we acknowledge the importance of social goals in emotion and emotion regulation. Social goals change based on objects/persons in socio-cultural context and vary based on stages of development, which underlines the importance of adaptability of emotion and emotion regulation. We conclude with a discussion of clinical prevention and intervention models - weighing their application of emotion science and theory in practice, with recommendations for future intervention development work.