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Affect-Focused and Exposure-Focused Psychotherapies.
John C Markowitz1, Barbara L Milrod1
1Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York City (Markowitz); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York City (Milrod).
American Journal of Psychotherapy
|January 22, 2024
Summary
Affect-focused and exposure-focused psychotherapies show equal benefits for mood, anxiety, and trauma disorders. Enhanced training in affect awareness is recommended for all psychotherapies.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychotherapy Research
Background:
- Two primary domains of psychotherapy exist: affect-focused and exposure-focused.
- Exposure-focused therapies are prevalent in research and practice, overshadowing affect-focused approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define and compare affect-focused and exposure-focused psychotherapies.
- To evaluate the comparative efficacy of these two therapeutic domains.
- To advocate for improved affect awareness and tolerance training in psychotherapy.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of theoretical approaches, structures, and techniques.
- Analysis of findings from well-conducted clinical trials comparing the two domains.
- Illustrative case vignette.
Main Results:
- Both affect-focused and exposure-focused therapies demonstrate comparable benefits for common mood, anxiety, and trauma disorders.
- Further research is needed to delineate specific therapeutic advantages for each approach.
Conclusions:
- Affect-focused and exposure-focused psychotherapies are equally effective for prevalent psychological disorders.
- Increased emphasis on affect awareness and tolerance training across psychotherapeutic modalities is warranted.
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