Principles of Emotion Change

Drawing on neuroscience, psychotherapy research, and clinical practice, this work unifies diverse theories of emotional transformation. It explains how challenging emotional states evolve—from momentary shifts to narrative re-framing—and offers clinicians nuanced insights to employ more effective, targeted interventions. This book of theory and practice offers an unprecedented exploration of the nature of emotion and the process by which it changes. Written for mental health providers and psychotherapy researchers, this innovative and unique volume offers an extraordinary synthesis of psychotherapy research, neuroscience, and practical observations to propose a new paradigm of emotion change. The book presents a general theory of how a difficult emotional state changes. Integrating findings across treatment approaches, it resolves contradictions found in different lines of research and reconciles existing theories that have seemed at odds. It explains the different kinds of emotional change, the hypothesized mechanisms driving that change, and when each type of change is most applicable. Dr. Pascual-Leone demonstrates that having a clearer understanding of how emotion change happens enables clinicians to apply more impactful and effective interventions. Chapters explore everything from moment-by-moment work (through engagement, labeling, and expression) to broader process formulations (such as narrative, re-framing, and purpose in life). Extensive clinical examples help therapists get a better grip on what each kind of processing really means.