Effect of emotion focused therapy on flexibility and emotional distress of girls with emotional breakdown

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Master of Family Counseling, Counseling Department, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

2 Professor, Counseling Department, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.

Abstract

Introduction: Emotional breakdown has wide consequences for a person and the necessity of therapeutic measures is felt in this field. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of emotion focused therapy on flexibility and emotional distress of girls with emotional breakdown.

Method: The single case method was used in this research. The research population was all girls with emotional breakdown in Isfahan city. Through purposive sampling, three volunteer girls who met the entry criteria were selected and received 9 sessions of emotion focused therapy. The research data was collected through Love Truma Inventory, depression, anxiety and stress scale and emotional flexibility scale. The participants completed the questionnaires in three stages (before the start of the intervention, during the intervention process and after the end of the intervention). Data were analyzed through spss software, reliability coefficient and recovery percentage.

Findings: The results showed that the value of reliability coefficient for all three girls, in the variables of flexibility and emotional distress, was significant at the level of p<0.01 in the post-treatment and follow-up phase.

Conclusion: According to the findings, emotion focused therapy has been effective in increasing emotional flexibility and reducing emotional distress in girls with emotional failure.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. منابع

    1. Rosse R. The love trauma syndrome: free yourself from the pain of a broken heart. Cambridge: Perseus Publishing; 1999.
    2. Rajabi S, Joukar M, Alimoradi K. The effectiveness of trauma-specific cognitive-behavioral therapy on reducing love-focused syndromes in college students. Biannual J Appl Couns 2018;8(1):79-96. doi:10.22055/jac.2018.27127.1623
    3. Parkes CM. Love and loss: the roots of grief and its complications. London: Routledge; 2013.
    4. Schultz DP, Schultz SE. Theories of personality. Belmont: Thomson; 2005.
    5. Akhlaghifard M, Meraji N. Predicting corona anxiety based on emotional distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) and spiritual health in nursesnetics and aides. Rooyesh-e-Ravanshenasi 2021;10(6):161-70. doi:20.1001.1.2383353.1400.10.6.19.9 [Persian].
    6. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed, text rev. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association; 2000.
    7. Murakami M, Matsuno T, Koike K, Ebana S, Hanaoka K, Katsura T, editors. Transactional analysis and health promotion. International Congress Series. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2006:164-7. doi:10.1016/j.ics.2005.12.055
    8. Hedlund JL. The Hamilton rating scale for depression: a comprehensive review. J Oper Psychiatr 1979;10:149.
    9. Ross RR, Altmaier EM. Intervention in occupational stress: a handbook of counselling for stress at work. London: Sage; 1994.
    10. Fu F, Chow A, Li J, Cong Z. Emotional flexibility: development and application of a scale in adolescent earthquake survivors. Psychol Trauma 2018;10(2):246-54. doi:10.1037/tra0000278
    11. Beshai S, Prentice JL, Huang V. Building blocks of emotional flexibility: trait mindfulness and self-compassion are associated with positive and negative mood shifts. Mindfulness 2018;9:939-48. doi:10.1007/s12671-017-0833-8
    12. Smutchak Z, Yankovska L, Sopilnyk L, Skupeiko V, Horbonos F. The role of leaders’ emotional flexibility in banks management. Financ Credit Act Probl Theory Pract 2021;6(41):66-77. doi:10.18371/fcaptp.v6i41.251399
    13. Watson JC, Gordon LB, Stermac L, Kalogerakos F, Steckley P. Comparing the effectiveness of process-experiential with cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy in the treatment of depression. J Consult Clin Psychol 2003;71(4):773-81. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.71.4.773
    14. Paivio SC, Greenberg LS. Resolving "unfinished business": efficacy of experiential therapy using empty-chair dialogue. J Consult Clin Psychol 1995;63(3):419-25. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.63.3.419
    15. Soulière M. The differential effects of the empty chair dialogue and cognitive restructuring on the resolution of lingering angry feelings. Ottawa: University of Ottawa; 1994. doi:10.20381/ruor-16661
    16. Greenberg LS, Goldman RN. Emotion-focused couples therapy: the dynamics of emotion, love, and power. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2008.
    17. Greenberg LS. Emotion-focused therapy: a clinical synthesis. Focus 2010;8(1):32-42. doi:10.1176/foc.8.1.foc32
    18. Greenberg LS. Emotion-focused therapy. Clin Psychol Psychother 2004;11(1):3-16. doi:10.1002/cpp.388
    19. Greenberg LS, Johnson SM. Emotionally focused therapy for couples. New York: Guilford Press; 1988.
    20. Coifman KG. From negative to positive: do flexible emotion responses predict the course of adjustment during bereavement? New York: Columbia University; 2008.
    21. Kramer U, Sutter M, Rubel J, Machinea JB, Woldarsky C, Auszra L, et al. Effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy: main results of a practice–research network study. Psychother Res 2025:1-9. doi:10.1080/10503307.2025.2454455
    22. Soltani M, Shairi MR, Roshan R, Rahimi CR. The impact of emotionally focused therapy on emotional distress in infertile couples. Int J Fertil Steril 2013;7(4):337-44.
    23. Eslami M. The effectiveness of emotion-focused group therapy on clinical symptoms of girls with emotional breakdown. Tehran: Alzahra University; 2021 [Persian].
    24. Shojaei Z. The effectiveness of emotional orientation therapy on emotion regulation, depression, and social isolation of girls with emotional breakdown in Ahvaz high school. Lorestan: Lorestan University; 2021 [Persian].
    25. Ertezaee B, Neissi A, Hamid N, Davoudi I. The effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on mental pain, experiential avoidance, and forgiveness in women with depression, who experienced a romantic relationship breakup. Shenakht J Psychol Psychiatry 2023;9(6):64-77. doi:10.32598/shenakht.9.6.64 [Persian].
    26. Dehghani M, Atef-Vahid MK, Gharaee B. Efficacy of short-term anxiety-regulating psychotherapy on love trauma syndrome. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci 2011;5(2):18-25.
    27. Lovibond PF, Lovibond SH. The structure of negative emotional states: comparison of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) with the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories. Behav Res Ther 1995;33(3):335-43. doi:10.1016/0005-7967(94)00075-U
    28. Rashid K, Bayat A. Constructing, validating, and identifying factor structure of emotional flexibility scale in a sample of Hamedan health-care centers clients. RJMS 2019;26(6):13-24 [Persian].
    29. Salarrad Z, Leilabadi L, Nafissi N, Kraskian Mujembari A. Effectiveness of emotion-focused therapy on anxiety and quality of life in women with breast cancer. Iran J Health Psychol 2022;5(3):35-46. doi:10.30473/ijohp.2022.60436.1205
    30. Canbulat N, Aladağ M. Emotion-focused group counseling with Turkish divorced women: a mixed design study. Curr Psychol 2024;43(5):4622-37. doi: 10.1007/s12144-023-04651-9
    31. Battaglini AM, Rnic K, Jameson T, Jopling E, Albert AY, LeMoult J. The association of emotion regulation flexibility and negative and positive affect in daily life. Affect Sci 2022;3(3):673-85. doi:10.1007/s42761-022-00132-7
    32. Jafari SarvJahani Y. The effectiveness of emotionally focused therapy on emotional flexibility and marital conflicts on the verge of divorce. Tehran: Payam Noor University of Alborz; 2022 [Persian].
    33. Greenberg LS. Emotion-focused therapy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2017.
    34. Mlotek AE, Paivio SC. Emotion-focused therapy for complex trauma. Person-Cent Exper Psychother 2017;16(3):198-214. doi:10.1080/14779757.2017.1330704
    35. Thompson S, Girz L. Overcoming shame and aloneness: emotion-focused group therapy for self-criticism. Person-Cent Exper Psychother 2020;19(1):1-11. doi:10.1080/14779757.2019.1618370
    36. Robinson L, McCague B, Whissell C. Single-case investigation of an emotion-focused therapy group for anxiety and depression. Int J Integr Psychother 2012;3(1):59-81.
    37. Greenberg LS, Watson JC. Emotion-focused therapy for depression. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2006.
    38. Elliott R, Watson JC, Goldman RN, Greenberg LS. Learning emotion-focused therapy: the process-experiential approach to change. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2004.
    39. Agharebparast Z, Nematy K, Shahin Nejad M. The effectiveness of emotional therapy on life expectancy and self-efficacy in depressed women with suicidal thoughts. Clin Psychol Achiv 2023;8(4):206-18. doi:10.22055/jacp.2024.45393.1333 [Persian].
    40. Timulak L, McElvaney J, Keogh D, Martin E, Clare P, Chepukova E, et al. Emotion-focused therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: an exploratory study. Psychotherapy 2017;54(4):361-71. doi:10.1037/pst0000128
    41. Timulak L, Keogh D. Emotion-focused therapy: a transdiagnostic formulation. J Contemp Psychother 2020;50(1):1-13. doi: 10.1007/s10879-019-09426-7
    42. Greenberg LS, Malcolm W. Resolving unfinished business: relating process to outcome. J Consult Clin Psychol 2002;70(2):406-16. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.70.2.406
Journal of Clinical Psychology
Volume 17, Issue 3 - Serial Number 67
September 2025
Pages 19-32

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 26 November 2024
  • Revise Date: 04 August 2025
  • Accept Date: 06 June 2025

Share

How to cite

Statistics