Theory week 12 reply

  Due by end of day. Please write a 300 word reply to my classmate, her discussion post is below. APA format. NO AI. My professor is a stickler for AI. PLEASE NO AI.  scholarly written, APA formatted and a minimum of 3 references (which may include the course textbook).    

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Hi everyone! I cannot believe we are at the end of this course. My theory paper was based on the Internal Safety and Emotional Processing Theory.  This theory was created to explain the relationship on how a patient’s individual sense of internal safety plays a role in how they process emotions.   I defined the concept of internal safety which is how an individual processes emotions specifically how they maintain control, exude stability psychologically, and tolerate distress whenever tougher feelings arise. I defined another key concept of emotional processing which is how an individual takes in and interprets emotional experiences in a healthy way.  This theory is unique because typically in trauma protocols or severe anxiety interventions, there is discussion on how external people and environments surrounding the individual effect their emotional regulation.  This theory’s purpose is to show how without a level of internal safety created by the patient, those individuals are going to be more likely to participate in maladaptive coping strategies such as avoidance, which does perpetuate mental health symptoms related to psychiatric diagnoses (Hayes et al., 2012; Gross, 2015). 

When coming up with the idea for this theory, I took influence from concepts from Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA) groups.  IFS therapy and ACOA groups emphasize the necessity of building internal strength and safety especially when there is no opportunity to take solace from external environmental factors. IFS therapy practices “parts” work which is an evidence-based therapy where there is identification of parts that help the individual cope and strip away from “Self” (Brenner et al., 2023).   ACOA group is a group therapy for individuals who have grown up in dysfunctional homes who participate in this group for community, and individuals work on healing their own inner child (ACOA). Both groups share the idea that internal safety of the individual requires healing even when removed from the external environment. 

The Internal Safety and Emotional Processing Theory is something I will use in my daily practice as a future PMHNP. This theory will help me assess my patient’s level of internal safety then guide them on appropriate interventions and resources to help with their emotional processing. This theory is critical because without internal safety, patients are not as open to interventions of grounding, cognitive behavioral therapy, and fixing maladaptive coping strategies. There is importance with this theory that provides the framework to start at the patient’s roots rather than just trimming off the branches. "