Biosocial Theory and

Transactional Model of
Emotion Dysregulation

When another person makes you

suffer, it is because he suffers
deeply within himself, and his
suffering is spilling over. He does
not need punishment; he needs
help. That's the message he is
sending.
Thch Nht Hnh

Chronic Dysregulation
Emotion - Swift emotion changes, fast start
of emotion, big experience and expression
Relationships - Chaotic relationships with
others, fear of abandonment
Self Struggles with own identity and
sense of self, feelings of emptiness
Behavior Self harm, suicidal behavior
Thoughts Dissociation/checking out, fear
that bad things will happen or will be done
by others, mind reading

Emotion Dysregulation
Diagram

Emotion Dysregulation
continued

Low self esteem

Problems in relationships
Worry about emotion dysregulation
Fears of abandonment
Difficulty problem solving
Self Judgment
Effort to avoid, emotional numbing
Impulsivity

Biosocial Theory
Emotion sensitivity
Experience emotions in big and vividly
colorful way
Artists, musicians, writers
Bambi example

Invalidating environment
Invalidation- thoughts, feelings, perceptions
are wrong, exaggerated, unacceptable
Spaghetti with a knife example

Transactional Model
Emotion regulation (diagram)

Transactional Model continued

Development and Maintenance
Validating relationships experiences
are valid even when different than
others, accepts, does not try to change,
or control, does not mean agreement
not necessarily without feedback and
no necessarily pleasant
Kid on a bike example

Where it goes wrong

Too many negative experiences

Too few positive experiences
Avoid situations and feelings
Judge self and others
Jump quickly to secondary emotions (primary
secondary emotions car cut off example)
Invalidation from others
Increased demands from others
Getting stuck in emotions
Helplessness, escalation

Emotion Vulnerability
High Sensitivity
High Reactivity
Slow return to baseline

Elements Contributing to Pervasive Dysregulation

Individual emotion vulnerability <->

Invalidation
Severe distress, emotion crisis
Emotion vulnerability
Lack of skills with managing emotion
Invalidating relationships

What to do?
Emotion vulnerability acceptance &
tolerance with self soothing skills
Lack of skills DBT skills training
Invalidating relationships
communication skills, accurate
expression, family skills

Clearview Treatment Programs

Skill - building
Groups: DBT, CBT, ACT, Relapse Prevention,
Mindfulness and Seeking Safety.

Clearview Treatment Programs

Comprehensive DBT
Individual target behavior management assess
and address ineffective behavior, set individual
goals, provide context and setting for
intervention (relationship in which to practice
skills)
Skills group to build skills knowledge base
Phone coaching to generalize skills to life outside
of treatment
Family group to enhance responsive and
supportive environment
Consultation team for therapists