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Comptes rendus de lecture 137

EILEEN KENNEDY-MOORE and JEANNE C. WATSON


Expressing Emotion: Myths, Realities, and Therapeutic
Strategies
New York: The Guilford Press, 1999, 365 pp.
(ISBN 1-57230-473-1, US$40, Hardcover)
Reviewed by SUSAN M.JOHNSON

This book is a timely exposition of the theory, research,


and clinical techniques associated with emotion and
the expression of emotion. It is a particularly relevant
text for clinical psychology in the context of recent
discussions of emotional intelligence and the limita-
tions of purely behavioural or cognitive perspectives on
human functioning and therapeutic change. It deals
with the myths about emotional expression that have
permeated the field, such as that emotion is dangerous
and to be avoided in therapy, or that the cathartic
ventilation of emotion drains negativity much like
lancing a wound. This book provides a rich contrast to
such simplistic, all or nothing positions on emotion
that have so often dominated psychological thinking,
especially in the literature on psychotherapy.
The book begins with a process model of expres-
sion/nonexpression that explicates die various levels of
expressiveness and the variables, such as negative
attitudes towards emotion that operate at various
points in the process. It also discusses the various
components of emotion and key themes such as the
interplay between cognition and emotion.
The second part of the book focuses upon
intrapersonal emotional processes. Here, as elsewhere
in the book, the authors intersperse clear discussion
and argument with relevant research findings and
cogent clinical examples. The audiors discuss the
concept of cadiarsis and die positive and negative
possibilities in die expression of anger, crying, and the
expression of pain arising from trauma. They acknowl-
edge the complexities of dealing widi emotion: that it
is, for example, a sign of and a way of coping with
distress. They point out that expression can prolong
and intensify negative emotions or expression can
change negative emotions. On the positive side, the
expression of emotion such as anger can foster cogni-
tive reinterpretation, the creation of new meanings,
and interpersonal changes such as more assertive
behaviours. The audiors point out the costs of denying
and inhibiting emotions as well as the costs of emo-
tional flooding. In general, the ability to be aware and
138 Book Reviews

voice one's emotions while keeping them within tion are used to illustrate the nature and effects of
manageable limits provides new insight and a new confiding in the different relationships mentioned
sense of direction to individuals and can be essential in above. In general, the authors deal with a very complex
regulating their social relationships. The authors topic in a satisfying, sophisticated, but eminently
suggest that emotion is like an "internal compass" readable way. In the section on sex differences in
directing us towards adaptive coping efforts and the emotional expression, they present various perspectives
achievement of life goals. and then, in a way that this reviewer found refreshing,
The third part of the book deals with interpersonal choose their "favourite" and argue for its relevance.
processes including how emotional behaviour is This book addresses a very complex and intriguing
socialized in the family context and the influence of topic in a stimulating, readable manner. It is pragmatic
attachment on emotional expression. It then goes on enough for the practicing therapist and stimulating
to focus on the expression of love and offers a very enough for the theoretically oriented reader. It will
balanced perspective of the differences between men find a treasured place in many a clinician's and
and women in this area, concluding that they are more teacher's library.
similar than different. In general, the authors conclu-
sions are intriguing and pertinent. For example, they Eileen Kennedy-Moore received her doctorate in clinical
conclude that it may be more important for relation- psychology from the State University of New York at Stony
ship satisfaction that partners agree on a style of Brook. She received an APA Dissertation Award for her
relating than that they reach some specific level of work on causal explanations for daily mood.
communication skills. Similarity in skill level may be Jeanne C. Watson is an assistant professor in the Depart-
more important than high levels of skill. The final ment of Adult Education, Community Development and
chapter of this section discusses the phenomena of Counseling Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies
confiding distress in close relationships, discussing in Education of the University of Toronto. She is co-editor
confiding in caregiving, bereaved and angry couples. (with Leslie Greenberg and Germain Lietaer) of the Hand-
Treatment implications are addressed in a chapter book of Experiential Psychotherapy (Guilford, 1998).
that deals with the general role of emotional expres- Susan M.Johnson is Professor of Psychology and Psychi-
sion in psychotherapy and in specific chapters on atry at the University of Ottawa and Director of the Marital
depression, the treatment of trauma, couples therapy, and Family Therapy Clinic at the Ottawa Hospital. She is
and interventions in health psychology. In addressing author of The Practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy:
depression, the authors give various ways of helping Creating Connection (Guilford, 1996).
clients process depressed feelings so they can clarify
such feelings, anchor them to context, and make them
more manageable. They also describe ways of cultivat-
ing positive and agentic feelings and modifying
maladaptive interpersonal patterns of expression.
One of the strengths of the treatment-oriented part
of the book is that it is integrative. The authors offer
generic problems, such as emotional flooding, and
then describe different kinds of humanistic, experien-
tial and cognitive behavioural interventions that might
address such problems. Interventions are illustrated
with excerpts of therapy. The authors occasionally draw
conclusions, such as in the marital therapy chapter
having to do with the advisability of offering individual
therapy before couples therapy in particular cases, diat
do not fit with the accepted wisdom in the couples
field, but this is a minor point. In general, they are able
to address intrapsychic and interpersonal realities well.
The final chapter offers a satisfying summary that
defines the adaptive expression of emotion as being
integrated with cognition, as well as flexible and
responsive to the individual's interpersonal context.
A second strength of this volume is that it is well
written. For example, small excerpts of couple interac-

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