Emotion Efficacy Therapy
A Brief, Exposure-Based
Treatment for Emotion Regulation
Integrating ACT & DBT
Presented by: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes
Executive Director, AllCEUs
AllCEUs.com Unlimited CEUs and Specialty Certifications $59
Objectives
 Define EET
 Explore the underlying theory
 Identify techniques used in EET and their
rationale
 Theorize about how EET might be helpful to your
clients
What is Emotion Efficacy Therapy
 An 8-Session protocol
 Targets the transdiagnostic drivers of low emotion
efficacy in people with emotion dysregulation,
anxiety, depression, stress, and impulsivity
 The philosophical premise of EET is that while pain is
unavoidable, suffering is not.
 EET skills focus on increasing distress tolerance and
decreasing emotion avoidance. Using five
components— emotion awareness, mindful
acceptance, values- based action, mindful coping,
and exposure-based skills practice
 Because learning and memory are created through
the encoding of experiences, it follows that utilizing
all sensory and perceptual components (cognitive,
somatic, and affective) is essential for new learning.
 In EET, transemotional learning occurs through the
activation of all emotional components— thoughts,
sensations, feelings, and urges— to build neural
pathways around new behaviors.
 EET leverages state- dependent learning through
exposure, which facilitates new learning in
emotionally activated states by increasing learning,
retention, and recall of EET skills
Summary of the Foundation
 EET is based on research of three foundational
ideas for its treatment structure and content
 A transdiagnostic approach is the most effective way to
treat clients with emotion problems
 Transemotional learning, which involves all four
components of emotion, is essential to learning
 New learning is enhanced in an activated state
Why
 There are more commonalities than differences across
diagnostic disorders, underscoring the need for
transdiagnostic approaches to treatment (McEvoy, Nathan,
& Norton, 2009).
 Transdiagnostic formulation identifies and targets the
mechanisms driving the symptoms (as opposed to the
symptoms themselves) as a focus of intervention.
 Transdiagnostic approaches allow for a single therapy for
clients who present with a wide range of symptoms
Goals of Treatment
 Power to experience themselves as distinct from their
emotions
 Power to experience intense emotions, instead of reacting
and avoiding
 Power to choose values- based action, even when
emotionally triggered
 Power to choose strategies to downregulate emotion and
keep from making difficult situations worse
 Apply to the following
 Anger
 Addiction
 Self-harm
Vulnerabilities for Low Emotional Efficacy
 Biological predisposition/sensitivity causing high levels of
reactivity
 High emotionality or experiential avoidance of uncomfortable
sensations, emotions, and cognitions triggered by internal or
external cues
 Significant levels of distress intolerance
 Significant lack of emotion- shifting/downregulate skills
 Consistent and significant socially invalidating environments
 Lack of understanding of their emotional experience
 Ineffective tools to either tolerate difficult emotions, make
values- consistent choices, or regulate their emotions.
5 Components of EET
 Emotional Awareness
 Thoughts, feelings, sensations, urges
 Mindful Acceptance
 Nonjudgmental acceptance
 Values-Based Action
 Proactive choice vs. reactive avoidance
 Mindful Coping
 Coping skills are usually used to avoid or change aversive
emotion
 Mindful coping helps clients expand their choices, so they
can choose values- based action.
 Exposure based skills practice
Typical Session
 Mindful acceptance skills practice
 Skills practice review and troubleshooting challenges
 Review of previous week’s psychoeducation and skill
 Psychoeducation on new skill
 Practice of new skill
 Imaginal or emotion exposure using new skill
 Homework via skills practice record
Emotion Awareness
 Emotions encompass
 Thoughts
 Feelings
 Physical sensations
 Behavioral urges
 Emotions can be contextually unhelpful or helpful
 Emotions are messages sent by the brain to help respond
to perceived threats and opportunities.
 Emotions are not the “truth”
 Emotions urge us to action
 Trigger Identification/Emotional Reaction Worksheet
Mindful Acceptance
 Benefits to using mindful acceptance when you
are emotionally triggered:
Learn to tolerate pain without acting on it.
Learn to recover more quickly from the distress of the
trigger.
Learn to find the space you need to thoughtfully and
consciously choose how you will respond to the pain.
 Mindful acceptance is practiced by learning to
observe and accept the four parts of emotion:
sensations, feelings, thoughts, and urges
Mindful Acceptance (Awareness) 10 Minutes
 Sensation Acceptance
 Scan your body for sensations with the intention of
observing and accepting them instead of reacting to
them.
 Feeling Labeling
 Identify the feeling that goes with the sensation
 Thought watching and sticky thoughts
 Urge Noticing
 Sit with the urge, without acting on it or judging it.
 Then notice what it’s like not to act on it.
Moment of Choice
 The moment of choice is…
 The moment between stimulus and response
 When clients will choose to use EET skills
Emotion surfing (chapter 4)
Values- based action (chapter 5)
Relaxation and self- soothing (chapter 7)
Coping thoughts (chapter 8)
Distraction and time- outs (chapter 9)
Emotion Surfing
 4 Possible Reactions
 Emotion surfing
 Emotion avoidance
 Rumination
 Emotion-driven behaviors
Emotion Surfing 5 Key Abilities
 Observing and accepting the emotion wave as it
comes.
 Identifying where you are on the wave and how
triggered you are
 Noticing and watching thoughts without getting
fused with them.
 Noticing any desire to escape the emotion, and
continuing to observe it instead
 Noticing any urges or impulses to act on the
emotion, and seeing the moment of choice (not
engaging in emotion- driven behavior)
Note
 Excellent section on explaining
 Emotional avoidance, rumination,
 Identifying how the person engages in it
 Identifying the consequences of it
Values Based Action
 Clarifying values across life domains is the first step to
being able to identify VBA in the moment of choice.
 Barriers to choosing values- based action
 Lack of clarity about values
 A hard- wiring to avoid pain
 The habit of acting on emotion
 Short- term reinforcement for acting on emotion- driven behavior,
or emotion avoidance
 Understanding the benefits of VBA can increase motivation
to choose an action based on values in the moment of
choice instead of an emotion- driven behavior.
Values Based Action
 Values- based action— in the face of emotional
triggers— is only made possible by recognizing the
moment of choice, which can be found using the
following sequence:
1. Noticing painful emotion, including the components of
feelings, thoughts, and sensations;
2. observing the action urge;
3. remembering situation- relevant values/intentions;
and
4. deciding to act (on values/intentions or emotion-
driven urges).
Relaxation and Self Soothing
 Diaphragmatic breathing
 Relaxation without tension (with cued breath)
 Cue- controlled breathing
 The five- senses exercise (30 seconds per sense)
 Positive examples of each sense can be used for
emotional downregulation
Coping Thoughts
 Coping thoughts are simply personalized,
strength- based declarations about resiliency,
history, or perspective that shifts the client’s
attention to help effectively navigate the difficult
emotion
 Identify triggers
 Identify automatic negative thoughts
 Create coping thoughts
Radical Acceptance
 Radical acceptance does not mean you like or
condone what happened. It just means that you
accept the reality that it happened.
 Practicing coping thoughts and radical acceptance
in an activated state will enhance learning and
help clients recall the skills when they are
triggered.
Distraction Time Out
 Distraction follows the exposure of observing and
accepting.
 Distraction allows clients to shift attention away
from stimuli that trigger emotion: provoking
thoughts, sensations, and situations.
 Distraction is used mindfully— to intentionally
shift attention to alternative present- moment
experiences after observing and accepting
emotions
Summary
 Emotional dysregulation can keep people stuck
 EET helps people learn to
 Identify their emotions
 Observe mindfully without reacting
 Use the moment of choice to decide on the best course
of action based on what is important to them
Summary
 Mindful acceptance is the practice of observing and
accepting the four components of emotional
experience through:
 sensation acceptance
 feeling labeling
 thought watching
 urge noticing.
 The moment of choice is the space between stimulus
and response when clients can consciously and
intentionally choose their response.
Summary
Based on Emotion Efficacy Therapy
A Brief, Exposure-Based Treatment
for Emotion Regulation Integrating
ACT and DBT
By: Matthew McKay PhD, Aprilia West
PsyD, MT
Using affiliate code 1168SNIPES you can receive 25% off your entire
order at https://newharbinger.com

Emotion Efficacy Therapy

  • 1.
    Emotion Efficacy Therapy ABrief, Exposure-Based Treatment for Emotion Regulation Integrating ACT & DBT Presented by: Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes Executive Director, AllCEUs AllCEUs.com Unlimited CEUs and Specialty Certifications $59
  • 2.
    Objectives  Define EET Explore the underlying theory  Identify techniques used in EET and their rationale  Theorize about how EET might be helpful to your clients
  • 3.
    What is EmotionEfficacy Therapy  An 8-Session protocol  Targets the transdiagnostic drivers of low emotion efficacy in people with emotion dysregulation, anxiety, depression, stress, and impulsivity  The philosophical premise of EET is that while pain is unavoidable, suffering is not.  EET skills focus on increasing distress tolerance and decreasing emotion avoidance. Using five components— emotion awareness, mindful acceptance, values- based action, mindful coping, and exposure-based skills practice
  • 4.
     Because learningand memory are created through the encoding of experiences, it follows that utilizing all sensory and perceptual components (cognitive, somatic, and affective) is essential for new learning.  In EET, transemotional learning occurs through the activation of all emotional components— thoughts, sensations, feelings, and urges— to build neural pathways around new behaviors.  EET leverages state- dependent learning through exposure, which facilitates new learning in emotionally activated states by increasing learning, retention, and recall of EET skills
  • 5.
    Summary of theFoundation  EET is based on research of three foundational ideas for its treatment structure and content  A transdiagnostic approach is the most effective way to treat clients with emotion problems  Transemotional learning, which involves all four components of emotion, is essential to learning  New learning is enhanced in an activated state
  • 6.
    Why  There aremore commonalities than differences across diagnostic disorders, underscoring the need for transdiagnostic approaches to treatment (McEvoy, Nathan, & Norton, 2009).  Transdiagnostic formulation identifies and targets the mechanisms driving the symptoms (as opposed to the symptoms themselves) as a focus of intervention.  Transdiagnostic approaches allow for a single therapy for clients who present with a wide range of symptoms
  • 7.
    Goals of Treatment Power to experience themselves as distinct from their emotions  Power to experience intense emotions, instead of reacting and avoiding  Power to choose values- based action, even when emotionally triggered  Power to choose strategies to downregulate emotion and keep from making difficult situations worse  Apply to the following  Anger  Addiction  Self-harm
  • 8.
    Vulnerabilities for LowEmotional Efficacy  Biological predisposition/sensitivity causing high levels of reactivity  High emotionality or experiential avoidance of uncomfortable sensations, emotions, and cognitions triggered by internal or external cues  Significant levels of distress intolerance  Significant lack of emotion- shifting/downregulate skills  Consistent and significant socially invalidating environments  Lack of understanding of their emotional experience  Ineffective tools to either tolerate difficult emotions, make values- consistent choices, or regulate their emotions.
  • 9.
    5 Components ofEET  Emotional Awareness  Thoughts, feelings, sensations, urges  Mindful Acceptance  Nonjudgmental acceptance  Values-Based Action  Proactive choice vs. reactive avoidance  Mindful Coping  Coping skills are usually used to avoid or change aversive emotion  Mindful coping helps clients expand their choices, so they can choose values- based action.  Exposure based skills practice
  • 10.
    Typical Session  Mindfulacceptance skills practice  Skills practice review and troubleshooting challenges  Review of previous week’s psychoeducation and skill  Psychoeducation on new skill  Practice of new skill  Imaginal or emotion exposure using new skill  Homework via skills practice record
  • 11.
    Emotion Awareness  Emotionsencompass  Thoughts  Feelings  Physical sensations  Behavioral urges  Emotions can be contextually unhelpful or helpful  Emotions are messages sent by the brain to help respond to perceived threats and opportunities.  Emotions are not the “truth”  Emotions urge us to action  Trigger Identification/Emotional Reaction Worksheet
  • 12.
    Mindful Acceptance  Benefitsto using mindful acceptance when you are emotionally triggered: Learn to tolerate pain without acting on it. Learn to recover more quickly from the distress of the trigger. Learn to find the space you need to thoughtfully and consciously choose how you will respond to the pain.  Mindful acceptance is practiced by learning to observe and accept the four parts of emotion: sensations, feelings, thoughts, and urges
  • 13.
    Mindful Acceptance (Awareness)10 Minutes  Sensation Acceptance  Scan your body for sensations with the intention of observing and accepting them instead of reacting to them.  Feeling Labeling  Identify the feeling that goes with the sensation  Thought watching and sticky thoughts  Urge Noticing  Sit with the urge, without acting on it or judging it.  Then notice what it’s like not to act on it.
  • 14.
    Moment of Choice The moment of choice is…  The moment between stimulus and response  When clients will choose to use EET skills Emotion surfing (chapter 4) Values- based action (chapter 5) Relaxation and self- soothing (chapter 7) Coping thoughts (chapter 8) Distraction and time- outs (chapter 9)
  • 15.
    Emotion Surfing  4Possible Reactions  Emotion surfing  Emotion avoidance  Rumination  Emotion-driven behaviors
  • 16.
    Emotion Surfing 5Key Abilities  Observing and accepting the emotion wave as it comes.  Identifying where you are on the wave and how triggered you are  Noticing and watching thoughts without getting fused with them.  Noticing any desire to escape the emotion, and continuing to observe it instead  Noticing any urges or impulses to act on the emotion, and seeing the moment of choice (not engaging in emotion- driven behavior)
  • 17.
    Note  Excellent sectionon explaining  Emotional avoidance, rumination,  Identifying how the person engages in it  Identifying the consequences of it
  • 18.
    Values Based Action Clarifying values across life domains is the first step to being able to identify VBA in the moment of choice.  Barriers to choosing values- based action  Lack of clarity about values  A hard- wiring to avoid pain  The habit of acting on emotion  Short- term reinforcement for acting on emotion- driven behavior, or emotion avoidance  Understanding the benefits of VBA can increase motivation to choose an action based on values in the moment of choice instead of an emotion- driven behavior.
  • 19.
    Values Based Action Values- based action— in the face of emotional triggers— is only made possible by recognizing the moment of choice, which can be found using the following sequence: 1. Noticing painful emotion, including the components of feelings, thoughts, and sensations; 2. observing the action urge; 3. remembering situation- relevant values/intentions; and 4. deciding to act (on values/intentions or emotion- driven urges).
  • 20.
    Relaxation and SelfSoothing  Diaphragmatic breathing  Relaxation without tension (with cued breath)  Cue- controlled breathing  The five- senses exercise (30 seconds per sense)  Positive examples of each sense can be used for emotional downregulation
  • 21.
    Coping Thoughts  Copingthoughts are simply personalized, strength- based declarations about resiliency, history, or perspective that shifts the client’s attention to help effectively navigate the difficult emotion  Identify triggers  Identify automatic negative thoughts  Create coping thoughts
  • 22.
    Radical Acceptance  Radicalacceptance does not mean you like or condone what happened. It just means that you accept the reality that it happened.  Practicing coping thoughts and radical acceptance in an activated state will enhance learning and help clients recall the skills when they are triggered.
  • 23.
    Distraction Time Out Distraction follows the exposure of observing and accepting.  Distraction allows clients to shift attention away from stimuli that trigger emotion: provoking thoughts, sensations, and situations.  Distraction is used mindfully— to intentionally shift attention to alternative present- moment experiences after observing and accepting emotions
  • 24.
    Summary  Emotional dysregulationcan keep people stuck  EET helps people learn to  Identify their emotions  Observe mindfully without reacting  Use the moment of choice to decide on the best course of action based on what is important to them
  • 25.
    Summary  Mindful acceptanceis the practice of observing and accepting the four components of emotional experience through:  sensation acceptance  feeling labeling  thought watching  urge noticing.  The moment of choice is the space between stimulus and response when clients can consciously and intentionally choose their response.
  • 26.
    Summary Based on EmotionEfficacy Therapy A Brief, Exposure-Based Treatment for Emotion Regulation Integrating ACT and DBT By: Matthew McKay PhD, Aprilia West PsyD, MT Using affiliate code 1168SNIPES you can receive 25% off your entire order at https://newharbinger.com