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Sequoia Family Therapy

Individual Therapy

Emotional Dysregulation

Some people feel emotions quickly and intensely. Anger flares before you know it, hurt turns into panic, or you shut down completely and can’t find the words. Afterward there may be regret or embarrassment.

Big emotions aren’t a character flaw. They often make sense given what you’ve lived through, especially if you grew up without much help learning how to handle them. They can be understood and steadied.

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What it can look like

  • Feelings go from calm to overwhelming quickly
  • Anger or tears you can’t seem to control
  • Shutting down or going numb during conflict
  • Saying things in the moment that you later regret
  • Relationships suffering because of emotional reactions
  • Feeling ashamed of how intense your emotions are

How we work on it

Emotionally Focused Therapy is built around understanding emotion. Together we slow down intense moments to see what happens first: the trigger, the feeling underneath, and how you react to protect yourself.

As you get to know that sequence, it becomes easier to notice it early and steady yourself. We practice ways to calm your body, name what you’re feeling, and ask for what you need. Because intense emotions often show up with the people closest to you, we look at those relationships too.

Approaches we use

  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

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Wondering if this fits what you’re going through?

A free 15-minute consultation is a good place to ask. We’ll talk about what’s going on and whether we’re a good fit.

Book your free 15-min consultation