Understanding AEDP: A Path to Healing and Transformation
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) is a type of psychotherapy that focuses on healing emotional trauma and fostering emotional growth by leveraging the brain's natural ability to change and heal. Developed by Dr. Diana Fosha, AEDP aims to "transform suffering into flourishing" by creating a safe and secure therapeutic environment that promotes emotional healing from the very first session (Fosha, 2021). Let’s break down some of the basics of AEDP together…
The Science Behind AEDP
At its core, AEDP is grounded in neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. This means that even after traumatic experiences, the brain has the potential to recover and form new, adaptive patterns of thinking and feeling.
Fosha integrates insights from affective neuroscience, attachment theory, and developmental psychology, among others, to create a framework that promotes healing. Research has shown that recognizing and affirming a person's core self can activate neural circuits linked to exploration and discovery, enhancing emotional resilience (Panksepp, 2021).
The Four-State Transformational Process
AEDP is structured around a four-state transformational process that guides the therapeutic journey:
1. State 1: Stress, Distress and Symptoms: Co-Constructing Safety with Affirmative Work with Defense and the Regulation of Inhibiting Affects like Anxiety, Guilt and Shame: This initial state involves the client presenting with defenses and inhibiting affects, which often mask deeper emotions. The therapist's goal is to affirm these defenses, regulate anxiety, notice glimmers of resilience, health, strength and manifestations to heal (Transformance Drive) and access the underlying core affective experiences.
2. State 2: Adaptive Core Affective Experience - Emotion and Trauma Processing of Core Affective and Relational Experiences: In this state, clients process core emotions such as love, sadness/grief, panic/fear/terror, joy/happiness, anger/rage, disgust, surprise/shock, trust, contempt, and interest/excitement. The aim is to promote healing by experiencing these emotions fully. We also work with relational and attachment experiences, in the moment, offering a corrective experience and an updated to the individuals Internal Working Model of Attachment.
3. State 3: Transformational Affects and Experiences Emerge - This state involves experiencing positive affects such as relief, joy, hope, vitality and pride that emerge from processing core emotions. These transformational affects indicate that healing is taking place. Interventions include Metaprocessing: Reflecting on and integrating positive experiences during therapy. Fosha describes this as "solidifying the gains made in therapy and reinforcing the new, healthier patterns of thinking and feeling" (Fosha, 2009).
4. State 4: Core State and The Truth Sense - The final state involves integrating these positive experiences into the client's sense of self, fostering a more resilient and adaptive identity. The client emerges with increased emotional resilience and a renewed zest for life. Interventions include Dyadic Celebration: Celebrating the therapeutic successes and transformations together, reinforcing the client's achievements and new self-concept (Tunnell, 2023).
The Role of the Transformance Drive
Central to AEDP is the concept of the transformance drive, which is the innate drive toward growth, healing, and self-actualization. Fosha explains that transformance is "the motivational counterpart of resistance, driven by hope and the search for positive affects" (Fosha, 2009). This drive is harnessed throughout the therapeutic process to facilitate deep emotional healing and transformation.
Supportive Research
Research in AEDP shows that integrating recognition and affirmation into therapy can significantly enhance emotional healing. Panksepp's work on the neurobiological core self demonstrates how these practices activate neural circuits linked to exploration and discovery, promoting a vital and energized sense of self (Fosha, 2021).
AEDP is a comprehensive and dynamic approach to psychotherapy that focuses on healing past trauma and promoting emotional growth. By addressing defenses, processing core emotions, experiencing transformational affects, and integrating these experiences into a resilient self, AEDP helps clients transform suffering into flourishing. It's a therapy that not only aims to heal past wounds but also to promote ongoing growth and transformation, helping individuals become their best selves.
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Michael Mondoro is a Certified AEDP Therapist in NYC, a Certified AEDP Institute Training Supervisor, and an Integrative Trauma Therapy Specialist, utilizing AEDP, EMDR, IFS and somatic therapies. He serves as a as a teacher and clinical trainer for therapists nationwide and a licensed individual therapist in Connecticut and New York helping individuals with complex experiences.
