Our emotions are there to guide us. When we’re able to feel them fully and respond to them effectively, they can help us navigate relationships, set boundaries, express needs, and process life’s challenges. But when emotions become overwhelming, confusing, or hard to access, we can end up feeling stuck, anxious, or out of control.

 

You might find that:

 

• Certain emotions (like anger, sadness, or fear) feel too intense or unpredictable

• You often shut down or feel numb when emotions arise

• Small events lead to big emotional reactions that are hard to make sense of

• You tend to bottle things up until they eventually spill over

• It’s difficult to stay emotionally present in close relationships

 

These patterns are often learned early in life—especially if it wasn’t safe to express emotion, or if you had to manage big feelings on your own. Over time, the nervous system adapts in protective ways, sometimes making it hard to distinguish between past emotional threats and present-day situations.

 

 

What is emotional regulation?

 

Emotional regulation is the ability to experience your emotions fully, without getting overwhelmed or needing to shut them down. It’s not about ignoring or “controlling” emotions, but about being able to stay with them, understand their meaning, and respond to them with awareness and choice.

 

For some, this means learning to feel more. For others, it means softening overactive defences that kick in when emotions arise.

 

 

How ISTDP helps with emotional regulation

 

ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy) is designed to help people develop emotional clarity, resilience, and freedom. In ISTDP, we work collaboratively to uncover the emotional patterns and unconscious defences that interfere with regulation—often without you realising it.

 

This process involves:

 

• Gently increasing your tolerance for experiencing core emotions

• Identifying the triggers and internal blocks that make emotions feel unsafe

• Understanding the deeper emotional conflicts that cause overwhelm or avoidance

• Strengthening your internal capacity to stay present with your feelings

 

It’s not always easy work—but it’s deeply effective for building emotional insight, flexibility, and long-term change.

 

 

How we can work together

 

I offer emotional regulation therapy in person from my office in Nottingham and online for clients across the UK and internationally. Sessions are tailored to your needs and the pace is guided by what feels manageable and supportive for you.

 

Whether you struggle with emotional overwhelm, shutdown, or confusion, this work can help you move towards a more grounded, connected experience of yourself.

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Get in touch

 

If you’d like to explore how this approach could support you in understanding and managing your emotions, you are welcome to reach out.

 

You can contact me here to arrange a session or ask any questions about how I work.