59. From Cognition to Emotion: A Shift in Mental Health Practice

Most interventions in our field are taught as cognitive-based. But in practice, what actually works often comes down to emotions, nonverbal cues, and affect. That gap between graduate training and what really helps clients is something every clinician has to navigate.In this episode, Brenda takes a closer look at why emotions sit at the center of lasting change. She reviews the landmark article The Rise of Affectivism in Nature Human Behaviour and explores how this new paradigm builds on behaviorism and cognitivism while placing emotions, motivations, and moods at the core of human experience. Dr. Greenberg’s reminder that “you have to arrive at your emotions before you can leave them” shapes an important way of thinking about emotional change in therapy. Rather than changing emotions through cognition or behavior alone, he shows us that transformation happens when one emotion helps shift another. This idea, along with the growing recognition of affect in research and practice, signals an important shift in how we understand healing.Brenda reflects on these shifts, considers their impact on child therapy and beyond, and explores what they mean for the future of psychotherapy.Enjoying the podcast?There are now playlists for you to navigate to your favorite topics: https://connection-therapy.com/playlistReferences:Dukes, D., Abrams, K., Adolphs, R., Ahmed, M. E., Beatty, A., Berridge, K. C., Broomhall, S., Brosch, T., Campos, J. J., Clay, Z., Clément, F., Cunningham, W. A., Damasio, A., Damasio, H., D, A. J., Davidson, J. W., de Gelder, B., Deonna, J., de Sousa, R., … Sander, D. (2021). The rise of affectivism. Nature Human Behaviour, 5(7), 816–820. https://doi-org.pgi.idm.oclc.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01130-8Greenberg, L., & Selvam, R. (2024). The Future of Emotions. International Body Psychotherapy Journal, 23(1), 12–27.Southern California Institute of Emotion-Focused Therapy: https://www.eftsocal.com/