Emotion Regulation Training at Tiers 1, 2, and 3

Abstract

As we think about work with students in schools, we must focus on both prevention and intervention. Two aspects of emotion science that are strongly related to these goals are emotion understanding and emotion regulation (Southam-Gerow & Kendall, 2002). The goal is to use emotion research to enhance our work with children. In the case of prevention at Tier 1, the goal is to improve emotion literacy and to teach some life skills. In the case of Tier 2 and 3 counseling work, the goal would include more advanced training in emotion regulation with more explicit teaching of strategies. Emotion understanding includes: the ability to label, appraise, and understand other’s facial expressions; to understand our own internal emotions as well as those of others; to be able to label emotions and emotional experiences; and to understand cultural display rules. Emotion regulation has to do with ability to manage or change how we think of our emotional experiences and events. Emotion regulation involves a particular focus on regulating intensity and duration of negative emotions as needed and to use those skills when interacting with others, which may involve decreasing or masking the emotions we feel. Emotion regulation includes increasing positive emotions (Izard, 2002; Kats-Gold & Priel, 2009). Emotion regulation is int tely related to a sense of well-being, self-efficacy, and successful communication.