Starting Here
Maybe your emotions feel like they go from zero to a hundred in seconds. Maybe you react in ways you regret, or you shut down completely when feelings get too intense.
Emotional regulation therapy helps you build a wider range of responses, so big feelings don't have to mean big consequences.
This Can Look Like
Difficulty with emotional regulation can look like:
- Emotions that feel disproportionate to the situation
- Rapid shifts between emotional states
- Reacting impulsively, then regretting it afterward
- Shutting down or going numb when emotions feel too intense
- Difficulty calming down once you're upset
- Relationships strained by intense or unpredictable reactions
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy helps you widen the gap between feeling and reacting. We'll help you:
- Recognize your emotional triggers and early warning signs
- Build tools to manage intense emotions in the moment
- Understand what's underneath big reactions, often fear, hurt, or overwhelm
- Practice responding intentionally instead of reacting automatically
- Repair relationships affected by dysregulated moments
Our Approach
We look at emotional regulation as a skill that can be built, not a fixed trait. Your therapist will help you understand your specific patterns and practice tools tailored to how intensely and quickly your emotions tend to shift.
Therapeutic Approaches We May Use
- Mindfulness-Based Therapy — building awareness and a pause before reacting
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) — understanding the parts of you driving intense reactions
- Somatic Experiencing — regulating the nervous system underneath big emotions
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — addressing thought patterns that intensify emotional reactions
Who Might Benefit From Treatment
Emotional regulation therapy may be a good fit if you:
- Experience emotions that feel intense or hard to control
- React impulsively and regret it afterward
- Shut down or go numb under emotional stress
- Notice mood swings affecting relationships or daily functioning
- Want a wider range of responses to difficult feelings
What to Expect in Therapy
Your first session explores your emotional patterns—what tends to trigger big reactions, and what happens in your body and mind when they hit.
Your therapist will help you build practical tools for regulation while exploring what's underneath the intensity.
Sessions are available in person at our Midtown Nashville office or online for clients throughout Tennessee.
FAQ
Is this the same as Anger Management therapy?
It's related but broader. Anger management focuses specifically on anger; emotional regulation therapy addresses the full range of intense emotions, including sadness, fear, and overwhelm. If anger is your primary concern, our
page may be a more direct fit.
Will therapy make me feel less, or feel my emotions differently?
The goal isn't to feel less—it's to build a wider range of ways to respond to what you feel, so emotions inform you without controlling your reactions.
Do you accept insurance?
Nashville Counseling Associates is out-of-network with insurance providers, so we don't bill insurance directly. Many clients use out-of-network benefits to get reimbursed, and we're happy to provide a superbill (an itemized receipt) for you to submit.
Session fees generally range from $130–$185 depending on the clinician, with $85 sessions available with our graduate-level interns and sliding-scale options based on financial need.
How do I get started?
Fill out our contact form or call (615) 281-9139. We'll ask a few questions about what you're looking for and help match you with a therapist whose experience fits your emotional patterns.
Sessions are available in person at our Midtown Nashville office or online for clients located anywhere in Tennessee.
Ready to begin counseling?
You don't have to keep carrying this on your own. Reach out to Nashville Counseling Associates, and we'll help connect you with a therapist whose training and approach fit emotions that feel bigger than you know what to do with.
