Bottled Up: An Experiential Intervention for Emotional Suppression

Abstract

ABSTRACT The regulation, expression, and suppression of emotion is often conceptualized differently in different cultures (Su, Wei, & Tsai, 2014). A common factor, however, between cultures is the need of the individual to exercise a sense of control, or regulation, over their emotions (Gross, 1998). Emotional regulation is defined as the process by which individuals influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience and express these emotions (Gross, 1998). An individual may present regulation through deliberate internalization of positive or negative emotions (Kim & James, 2015). In turn, this internalization can have positive or negative effects depending on the context. Emotional suppression is a common maladaptive coping mechanism (Gross & Levenson, 1993). Emotional suppression can be defined as an internalization of emotions during emotional arousal (Gross & Levenson, 1993). Bottled Up is an experiential intervention, developed by the authors, for use with clients experiencing emotional suppression. This article provides a review of literature that covers emotional regulation, specifically emotional suppression. We then explain the intervention (Bottled Up), how to implement it, and its relevance to the marriage and family therapy more broadly.