A Miami and New York City psychologist with a PhD from Fordham University, Dr. Lisa Napolitano conducts cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) as the Founder and Executive Director of CBT/DBT Associates. Dr. Lisa Napolitano has become an internationally recognized authority on emotion regulation.

When people cannot defuse or moderate negative emotions healthily, they are in a state of emotion dysregulation. Both consciously and subconsciously, people use a wide range of emotion regulation processes and strategies to cope with difficult situations.

Psychologists and therapists support patients who have come to rely on unhealthy emotion regulation processes and strategies, resulting in intense negative emotions that are both persistent and overwhelming. With professional help, patients can learn various techniques to change or shift attention from the thoughts that prompt negative emotions.

Changing a negative thought into a positive one is possible by reframing the situation. For example, a person can view a mistake as a tragic waste of time and resources or approach it as an opportunity to learn and grow.