CalmER: Evaluating Emotional Resolution® for Anxiety in Healthcare Workers
A Clinical Research by UCLA

 Supporting healthcare workers with an accessible, remote intervention designed to reduce anxiety and improve emotional well-being.

This study explores the effects of Emotional Resolution Therapy, or EmRes, compared with an active control intervention called Mindfulness-Based Gratitude, or MBG, among healthcare workers experiencing elevated anxiety.

 
View Study Findings
Download Full Study
 

Why This Study Matters

Healthcare workers often experience high levels of anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout due to intense work demands. These concerns became even more prominent following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many healthcare workers also face barriers to traditional therapy, including limited time, scheduling issues, cost, and stigma. This study investigated whether a remote, scalable intervention could offer a more accessible form of support.

See How the Study Was

What Is Emotional Resolution Therapy?

Emotional Resolution Therapy, or EmRes, is a body-focused intervention designed to help individuals process and resolve the physical sensations associated with emotions.

Rather than focusing only on thoughts or discussion-based therapy, EmRes works by helping participants become aware of the body’s response to emotional distress and allowing those sensations to resolve naturally.

Key Points

  • Remote, one-on-one sessions

  • Body-focused emotional processing

  • Designed to reduce distress linked to anxiety

  • Delivered over a structured 9-week periods

What Was Mindfulness-Based Gratitude?

The active control group participated in Mindfulness-Based Gratitude, or MBG.

This intervention focused on appreciation, mindfulness, and resilience through practices such as guided meditations, gratitude journaling, and reflective mindfulness exercises.

This allowed the study to compare EmRes with another supportive intervention, rather than comparing it to no treatment.

How the Study Was Conducted

This randomized controlled trial compared EmRes with Mindfulness-Based Gratitude in healthcare workers with elevated anxiety symptoms.

 

Study Details

  • 124 healthcare workers with follow-up data on the primary outcome

  • EmRes group: 60 participants
    MBG group: 64 participants

  • 18 to 61 years old

  • All procedures were completed remotely

  • Approximately 19 weeks total

    1. Baseline Period
      Week 1

    2. Intervention Period
      9 weeks

    3. Follow-Up 1
      Week 10

    4. Follow-Up 2
      Week 19

Study Measures

The study measured anxiety as the primary outcome, with stress and depression as secondary outcomes.