1. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION
Allameh Tabatabae’I University
Spring 2017

2. 01:00
Session eight

3. Emotional memory

4. Emotional conditioning
Long term memory
Explicit memory
Episodic
Autobiographical memory
Semantic
Implicit memory
Emotional conditioning

5. Inability to integrate the event into big picture
Horowitz theory
Too much data or emotionally too harsh data
Overload
Inability to integrate the event into big picture
In other words inability to define the event as a part of autobiographical memory
It means the person does not want to accept the event and believe it happens to him
Intrusive memories or thoughts as a natural mechanism to integrate the self

6. Treatment
Therapist helps patient to process the emotional events in implicit memory and brings them to explicit memory.
This transition helps patient to accept the event, integrate it to whole picture and express his emotions.
It will not happen unless the patient experience the emotion completely with his body, since it is necessary for emotional processing.

7. Emotional processing

8. Emotional processing
Events such as: loss of a friend, bad choices, grief, and guilt
Process: feel and experience, finding the main emotion, experiencing bodily status, exploring it’s function, expressing emotion
Main problem: not being sensitive, not allowing emotions to float, Not aware of debris of emotions inside of us: for example when one person experience a trauma, there actually should have been the same feeling in her or himself/ law of attraction
Why we don’t feel out emotions?
Dysfunctional coping style
False beliefs

9. Dysfunctional coping style
Deny
Suppress
Resist
Substitute

10. False beliefs It’s pointless to feel emotions
It’s better to avoid emotions
It’s wasting of time to think about emotions
It’s dangerous to feel my emotions (getting out of control, getting crazy, getting punished)
We need to examine our will to find why we don’t want to experience emotions rather than trying to experience emotions.

11. Discussion
Difference between being emotional and experiencing emotions
Difference between thinking about emotions (intellectualization) and really experiencing emotions
levels of insight

13. Example
I think recently I have been stupid since I have made really bad choices and I do not feel good. I don’t really know how to experience my emotions?
He does not mean he is really stupid. He does not actually let himself to be stupid. He splits himself from the stupid choices he has made…
Melanie Kline: splitting, good mother, bad mother
Integrating (the last crisis in Erikson theory)

14. Significant relationship
Erik Erikson
Approximate Age
Virtues
Psychosocial crisis
Significant relationship
Existential question
Examples
Infancy 0-23 months
Hope
Basic trust vs. mistrust
Mother
Can I trust the world?
Feeding, abandonment
Early childhood 2–4 years
Will
Autonomy vs. shame and doubt
Parents
Is it okay to be me?
Toilet training, clothing themselves
Preschool age 4–5 years
Purpose
Initiative vs. guilt
Family
Is it okay for me to do, move, and act?
Exploring, using tools or making art
School age 5–12 years
Competence
Industry vs. inferiority
Neighbors, school
Can I make it in the world of people and things?
School, sports
Adolescence 13–19 years
Fidelity
Identity vs. role confusion
Peers, role model
Who am I? Who can I be?
Social relationships
Early adulthood 20–39 years
Love
Intimacy vs. isolation
Friends, partners
Can I love?
Romantic relationships
Adulthood 40–64 years
Care
Generativity vs. stagnation
Household, workmates
Can I make my life count?
Work, parenthood
Maturity 65-death
Wisdom
Ego integrity vs. despair
Mankind, my kind
Is it okay to have been me?
Reflection on life

16. Emotional processing in psychotherapy
A basic assumption in psychodynamic approaches has been that neuroses reflect attempts to avoid disturbing experiences (Freud, 1956)
In describing pathology, Perls (1969) asserted that, "If some of our thoughts, feelings are unacceptable to us, we want to disown them but only at the cost of disowning valuable parts of ourselves .... Your ability to cope with the world becomes less and less" (p. 11)

17. Tips
Spending time every day to find why you don’t want to experience your emotions
Using from every opportunities
If other people make you sad, depressed, disappointed, or mad, it is just one another feedback about your inner emotions. Be grateful and use it .

18. Homework
Reading: emotional processing Summarize the PowerPoint Complete emotional intelligence test