Atmospheres
Routledge eBooks October 15, 2026 DOI: 10.4324/9781042023028-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that affective atmospheres are not mere backdrops but active agents in psychotherapy, and that therapists act as temporary affective regulators who scaffold patients' emotional regulation. Proposes the concept of "structured unpredictability" – balancing safety and openness so novelty and disorganization can emerge without overwhelming the client. |
Abstract
This chapter explores therapeutic atmospheres through the lens of 4E cognition – Embodied, Embedded, Enactive, and Extended – arguing that affective atmospheres are central to therapeutic transformation. Rather than viewing therapy as a purely verbal or cognitive process, it is framed as a situated, relational, and affectively structured ecology . Affective atmospheres are described as distributed emotional fields – emergent, collective, and modulated through spatial, material, and interpersonal dynamics. Drawing on the concepts of interpersonal affective scaffolding and participatory sense-making , the therapist is seen as a temporary affective regulator, helping the patient navigate emotional instability and fostering the internalization of new regulatory capacities. Central to this dynamic is the concept of structured unpredictability : The therapeutic space strikes a balance between safety and openness, allowing disorganization and novelty to emerge without overwhelming the client. Therapeutic atmospheres are not mere backdrops, but active agents that shape experience and potentialities in psychotherapy.