Internal multiplicity in emotion‐focused psychotherapy

Abstract

Emotion-focused therapy regards the client's problems as indications that the inner dialogue among voices of the self has become fractious, often because one or more voices have developed emotion schemes that are based on maladaptive emotions. The goal of therapy is to transform such maladaptive emotions into more adaptive ones. The therapist's interventions focus on facilitating the client's process of dialogue among the voices of the self and guiding the client toward experiencing of adaptive emotions. These new experiences contribute to a dynamic shift in the relation among the voices. A case study illustrates how a male client's rage and hopelessness transformed into assertiveness and tenderness as the various voices learned to respect and help each other within the self.