Emotional Regulation vs. Emotional Suppression
Understanding the concept
Regulation involves recognizing emotional states and choosing responses that support your goals. Suppression generally refers to trying to inhibit emotional expression or awareness. Different strategies are useful in different contexts.
What this might look like
Taking several breaths before a conversation can create room for choice; pretending the problem does not exist may leave it unresolved.
A question to reflect on
What helps you notice an emotion before it takes over your response?
Research & further reading
- National Institute of Mental Health. Psychotherapies: Finding a therapist and understanding treatment.
- Macri & Rogge (2024). Psychological flexibility as a treatment mechanism in ACT: A systematic and meta-analytic review.
These sources offer background reading and do not necessarily substantiate every sentence in this article. This is educational information, not diagnosis or personalized advice. Content should be clinician-reviewed prior to public launch.