Practicing nonjudgmental awareness of emotional experience, including thoughts, sensations, and urges, without immediately changing or avoiding it.
Step-by-step guide
- Invite the client to notice the emotion
- Name it as accurately as possible
- Observe bodily sensations
- Notice thoughts and urges without acting on them
- Return attention when it wanders
- Reflect on what was learned
When to use
- Module 3
- When the client reacts to emotion with fear, shame, or control attempts
Key phrases
Can you let the emotion be present and observe what it does?
Follow-up questions
Where is it in the body?
What urge appears with it?
What happens if you do not immediately change it?
Alternative phrasings
The task is awareness, not relaxation.
Warnings
- ⚠️ Do not present this as relaxation training
- ⚠️ Increase exposure gradually if the client dissociates or floods
Source: Barlow et al. 2018
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.