Expressing Emotion Myths, Realities, and Therapeutic Strategies

by Kennedy-Moore, Eileen; Watson, Jeanne C.

• ISBN13: 9781572306943
• ISBN10: 1572306947
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-03-15
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Emotional expression is the link between internal experience and the outside world. It is intimately connected to who we are, how we feel, and how we relate to others. In daily life, expression enables people to communicate with each other and influence relationships; in psychotherapy, it provides important information about how clients are feeling and how they are relating to the therapist. This lucid volume examines expressions of such feelings as love, anger, and sadness, and highlights the individual and interpersonal processes that shape emotional behavior. It offers a lively and comprehensive discussion of the role of emotional expression and nonexpression in individual adaptation, social interaction, and therapeutic process.

Author Biography

Jeanne C. Watson, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Adult Education, Community Development and Counselling Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Expression, Nonexpression, and Well-Being: An Overview	p. 3
Intrapersonal Processes
The Myth of Emotional Venting	p. 25
Blind Spots and Epiphanies: Expression, Nonexpression, and Emotional Insight	p. 63
The "Shoulds," "Oughts," and "Musts" of Emotional Behavior: Expressive Goals and Values	p. 91
Interpersonal Processes
Family Socialization of Emotional Behavior	p. 109
Men, Women, and the Language of Love	p. 135
Telling One's Troubles: Expression of Distress in Intimate Relationships	p. 182
Treatment Implications
Expression and Nonexpression in Psychotherapy: Facilitating Emotional Understanding and Behavioral Change	p. 205
Beyond Sadness: Therapeutic Approaches to Emotional Constriction in Depression	p. 225
Flooding or Blunting: Vacillating Expression and Nonexpression in Bereavement and Trauma	p. 240
Emotional Expression in Marital Therapy	p. 258
Expression-Related Interventions in Health Psychology	p. 273
Conclusion
Balance in Emotional Behavior	p. 295
References	p. 307
Index	p. 351
Table of Contents provided by Syndetics. All Rights Reserved.