“So Much Comes Up”: Emotion Regulation in Psychotherapy Addressing Existential, Spiritual and Religious Themes

Existential, spiritual, and religious themes often evoke strong emotions in therapy, yet little is known about how clients’ emotion regulation relates to these aspects. Spiritual psychotherapy for inpatient residential and intensive treatment (SPIRIT) integrates meaning in life within a cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) framework in acute and intensive mental health care and provides an appropriate context for examining this. This qualitative study explores: (1) clients’ beliefs about expressing, managing, or suppressing emotions related to meaning in life, spirituality, or religion (MSR); (2) how emotion regulation strategies (e.g., reappraisal, acceptance, and distress tolerance) are influenced by addressing MSR in therapy; and (3) whether engaging with MSR activates emotion regulation mechanisms for clients’ experienced distress. We analyzed 118 client evaluation forms and 19 semi-structured client interviews using a thematic approach informed by emotion regulation theory. SPIRIT-CBT made implicit beliefs about (MSR-related) emotion regulation explicit, and group interactions sometimes led to changes. Clients showed various regulation strategies, for example: MSR-based reappraisal, connectedness, reflection, and positive refocusing. However, emotional tension and suppression were also reported. Particularly from the interviews, it emerged that the therapy facilitated regulation mechanisms, including narrative processing, perspective shifting, sense-making, and social belonging. Focusing on MSR and existential themes addresses an important gap in mental health care and may contribute to supporting clients’ emotional recovery and overall well-being.