Negative Emotional Memories in Clinical Treatment: Theoretical Considerations Robert A. Moss Center for Emotional Restructuring The pursuit of empirically supported therapies has resulted in controversy and further division between practicing and academic clinicians. The current article provides an overview of a clinical biopsychological model that may serve to guide assessment and treatment of many psychological problems, with a selective review of the literature supporting the model. One particular area, negative emotional memories, is discussed in theoretical and practical terms as related to the development of clients’ psychological problems and how certain therapists’ behaviors can positively and negatively affect clients. Next, the theorized effects of psychological treatments on negative memories are discussed. The article concludes with a call for efforts to pursue a neuropsychological model of treatment based on hypothesized causal fac- tors. Keywords: clinical biopsychology, emotional memories, psychological treatment, emo- tional restructuring Since the last decade of the 20th century, there has been growing interest in empirically supported therapies (ESTs; Chambless & Hollon, 1998). This has resulted in much controversy, and the result has largely been to divide further academic and practicing clinicians. It has been noted that these ESTs address very narrow diagnostic groups which do not necessarily reflect most clients seen in the “real world” (Westen, Novotny, & Thompson-Brenner, 2004). Further, in reference to desired change, it has been noted that the variance for which these treatments account is relatively small, leaving open the fact that additional factors (e.g., therapist variables, process variables) are present but overlooked in such research (Doss, 2004). In defining the treatment groups in EST research, the Diagnostic and Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Robert A. Moss, Center for Emotional Restructuring, P. O. Box 591, Travelers Rest, SC 29690. E-mail: rmoss@emotionalrestructuring.com Journal of Psychotherapy Integration Copyright 2007 by the American Psychological Association 2007, Vol. 17, No. 2, 209 –224 1053-0479/07/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/1053-0479.17.2.209 209