helping skills

Emotion

A complex psychological state that involves an experiential response, physiological response, and a behavioral or expressive response.

Mood

A stable, longer-lasting emotional state that affects a person's overall perception and behavior.

Affect

The observable expression of emotions; the broad category of feelings.

Primary Emotions

Basic emotional responses that are directly tied to a situation, such as fear or sadness.

Secondary Emotional Response

An emotional reaction that follows a primary emotion, often used to mask underlying feelings, such as responding with anger instead of sadness.

Trauma Response

An emotional reaction to a current situation that is influenced by past traumatic experiences.

Instrumental Emotional Response

A response that uses emotions manipulatively to achieve a specific goal or intention.

Emotion Regulation

The ability to manage and respond to emotional experiences in a healthy way.

Avoidance Coping

A strategy to deal with anxiety or emotions by withdrawing from the situation or avoiding it.

Overarousal

A state where a person feels overwhelmed by their emotions, often leading to anxiety.

Underarousal

A condition often associated with depression where a person loses the ability to feel emotions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A therapeutic approach developed by Marsha Linehan that emphasizes the importance of emotion regulation and balancing emotional and rational mind.

Reflection

A therapeutic technique used to summarize or clarify the emotional content expressed by a client, helping them focus on their feelings.

Self Disclosure of Feelings

A therapeutic technique where the helper shares their feelings about a situation to normalize and validate the client's emotions.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another, fostering a therapeutic relationship.

Active Listening

A communication technique that involves fully concentrating, understanding, responding, and remembering what the client says.

Vulnerable Emotions

Emotions that expose a person to emotional risk or hurt, such as sadness or fear.

Therapeutic Relationship

The professional bond between therapist and client that is fundamental for effective therapy.

Exploration Skills

Techniques aimed at understanding and delving into a client's emotions rather than avoiding them.

Emotionally Focused Therapy

A form of therapy that focuses on exploring and processing emotions to improve the client's emotional well-being.