ABSTRACT
In the last chapter, I cited remaining calm as one of the emotional challenges that arises in difficult conversations. This is hard to do and is a major reason we couple therapists are in business. In this chapter, I discuss educational interventions that can help clients gain control of their emotions in the moment, precisely when they are losing control. These techniques work for all negative emotions, including anxiety, hopelessness, and (most important) reactive anger. They help to down-regulate overwhelming emotional reactions, thereby enabling individuals to access more adaptive thoughts and actions.
