Praxical.Psych
Unit 9 of 20

Experiential therapies

Work with emotion directly, and understand why arousal alone is not enough.

Chapter 6Sessions 10/28–10/30

What you should be able to do afterwards

  • 1Explain the paradoxical theory of change
  • 2Classify an emotion as primary adaptive, primary maladaptive, secondary or instrumental
  • 3Identify a marker and select the matching task
  • 4Explain the arousal-plus-reflection finding and its clinical implication

The reading

The central empirical result of this unit: emotional arousal in session predicts outcome only when it is combined with reflection and meaning-making. High arousal with low reflection predicts poor outcome. This is the finding that separates emotion-focused therapy from the cathartic traditions it grew out of, and it should change what you do in the room.

What belongs to this unit

Questions to take away

For a seminar, a supervisor, or an argument with yourself.

  1. 1What distinguishes a therapeutic emotional experience from an intense one?
  2. 2Chair work has more evidence than the tradition that invented it. How did that happen, and what does it suggest?
  3. 3When is empty-chair work contraindicated, and how would you know before starting?

Your notes

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Before you begin

What Praxical.Psych is, and is not

Praxical.Psych is an educational tool. It teaches the theory, evidence base and clinical method of psychotherapy at the level of an advanced survey course, and it lets you rehearse a complete session in a simulator.

It is not medical, clinical, psychological or legal advice. It cannot diagnose or treat anyone, and it does not state the law where you practise — requirements differ by jurisdiction and change. Nothing here creates a clinician–patient or solicitor–client relationship.

  • Every patient, transcript and case in this app is fictional — a composite written for teaching. None depicts a real person.
  • Praxical.Psych is not therapy, not a substitute for supervision, and not a credential. Competence to practise comes from training, supervised hours and licensure.
  • Scores from the instruments here are for learning how they behave. They are not a diagnosis and not a risk assessment, and must not inform a decision about a real person.
  • Do not enter real patient information. Everything you type stays in this browser, but that is not the same as a compliant clinical record system.
If you are in crisis

In the US and Canada, call or text 988. In the UK and Ireland, call 116 123 (Samaritans). Elsewhere, find a local line at findahelpline.com. In immediate danger, use your local emergency number.

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