Tracking Emotions over Time (the “ARC”)

The primary goal for this session is for clients to explore and learn how emotional experiences unfold. This allows clients to learn from their emotional experiences and how these experiences can influence their later behaviors and emotions. During this session, clients learn the steps that unfold over time in emotions: antecedent (A, what happened before), response (R, which includes thoughts, physical sensations, and behaviors/urges), and consequence (C, what happens after). Clients learn to look for patterns in their emotional triggers. They also learn to explore short- and long-term consequences of their emotional responses. Form 8.1: The ARC of Emotional Experiences is introduced.