ABSTRACT
X WHATARE EMOTIONALREGULATION CONCERNS? Our internal, intuitive, and sometimes instinctive response to our circumstances results in a range of sentiments, defi ning our emotional experience. Th is experience can inform our judgments, perceptions, and actions. Often the antecedents and intersection between emotion, behavior, and logical processing is very complex and diffi cult to defi ne. Emotions work toward infl uencing our behavior, preparing the body for action via the release of neurochemicals. For example, dopamine release is associated with aggression and risk-taking, while oxytocin release is associated with attachment and soothing (Deans, ; Graham, ). While our bodies are readied for action through this physiological response, our ability to regulate the emotional response determines the resulting behaviors. When emotional regulation becomes a concern for clients, you may hear this or other phrases explored in this chapter while in session:
“I couldn’t control myself; it’s not like me to act that way.”
