Therapy for Emotional Suppression in Calgary

What is Emotional Suppression?

Emotional suppression is the act of dismissing and/or refusing to process your feelings.

It happens here and there when people don’t feel safe to express themselves or feel it may not be the right time. While it can feel appropriate in some situations, choosing to do it - especially constantly - and never giving yourself the space or time to process those feelings can really affect not just your mental health, but also your physical health and relationships.

Why do People Suppress Emotions?

There are many reasons people resort to emotional suppression. Some may have felt misunderstood and judged during the times when they did express themselves, some may have never felt they were entitled to their feelings, and some people were outrightly taught that they were not supposed to express - or even have - emotions.

Common Signs You May Be Struggling with Emotional Suppression:

  • You find it hard to express your feelings, or even know what it is you are feeling.

  • You tend to avoid feeling altogether. This can look like avoiding emotional conversations or avoiding things that you know could cause an emotional reaction.

  • You feel uncomfortable when people express their emotions around you or expect you to express yours.

  • You feel consistently numb or anxious.

  • You find it difficult to develop and maintain relationships. Your relationships also tend to be more surface-level.

  • Your suppressed emotions may manifest physically. This is called somatization. It can look like headaches, chronic fatigue, soreness or even gastrointestinal issues (like acid reflux or tummy aches).

  • You may feel disconnected from those around you and even from yourself.

  • You might be more irritable and have frequent mood swings.

  • You might also become forgetful. You may forget memories because they are connected to an emotion that you don’t want to feel, or you may just forget things in general because you feel dysregulated and can’t properly process your thoughts.

Types of Therapy for Emotional Suppression:

EMDR

Uses guided eye movements to help release suppressed emotions tied to past experiences, reducing the need to avoid or shut them off.

Somatic Therapy

Uses breath, movement, and body awareness to identify where suppressed emotions are held in the body, and supports their safe release..

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Works with the suppressed “parts” of you to help bring them into awareness and create more calm, clarity, and regulation.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy

Uses imagery and eye movements to reprocess painful memories so suppressed emotions connected to them can surface and resolve.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Helps you recognize how suppressed emotions show up as unhelpful thoughts and behaviors, and teaches ways to shift these patterns so emotions can be acknowledged rather than buried.

Expressive Arts Therapy

Provides creative outlets for expressing emotions that have been suppressed, offering new channels for safe release.

Narrative Therapy

Helps you externalize the habit of emotional suppression by reframing your story, empowering you to acknowledge emotions instead of silencing them.

Mindfulness Therapy

Encourages awareness of suppressed emotions as they arise in the present moment, creating space to observe, accept, and gently release them rather than ignore them.

Depth Hypnosis

Guides you into a relaxed state to uncover suppressed emotions and the deep-rooted beliefs that fuel them, making it easier to bring hidden feelings to the surface with compassion..

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy

Builds skills to notice when you’re suppressing emotions and offers healthier strategies so you can express feelings safely instead of pushing them down.

Emotion-Focused Therapy

Helps uncover and work through suppressed emotions, guiding you to express them openly and transform avoidance into deeper self-connection.

Emotional Suppression Therapists in Calgary: