The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings Are Trying to Tell You

Your emotions contain brilliant information. When you learn to welcome them as your allies, they can reveal creative solutions to any situation. For 35 years, empathic counselor and researcher Karla McLaren has developed a set of practical tools for the real-world stresses of family, career, and the quest for personal fulfillment. In The Language of Emotions, she presents her breakthrough teachings for a new and empowering relationship with your feeling states. Your emotionsespecially the dark and dishonored oneshold a tremendous amount of energy. Weve all seen what happens when we repress or blindly express them. However, there is a powerful alternative. In The Language of Emotions, youll learn to meet your emotions and engage with them to safely move toward resolution and equilibrium. Through experiential exercises covering a full spectrum of feelings from anger, fear, and shame to jealousy, grief, joy, and more, you will discover how to work with your own and others emotions with fluency and expertise. When we relate to our emotions with respect and authenticity, we can directly access our innermost wisdom, unfold the deepest parts of ourselves, and heal our most painful wounds. The Language of Emotions gives us a much-needed resource for self-understanding and freedom: How to overcome addictions, distractions, and unresolved traumathe three primary impediments to emotional ease Using the energy of anger to protect and restore personal boundaries Step-by-step guidance in the five skills of the empath (someone skilled in reading emotions) How to balance your quaternity, a metaphor for the interplay of mind, body, spirit, and emotions Honoring sadness as a source of release and rejuvenation Joy, the natural response to beauty and communion Praise In my graduate education in counseling psychology, I found very little information about our emotions. Yet in my work as a therapist and educator, Ive seen that emotions are key to healing. Karla McLarens book offers an outstanding guide to the signals and messages emotions send us, along with clear instructions for intelligent and emotion-supporting actions we can take in response. Karla has made a huge contribution to the well-being of us all; The Language of Emotions will become required reading in all of my courses.Nancy Feehan, MFT, adjunct professor of counseling psychology at the University of San Francisco Karla McLarens unique, empathic view of emotions surprisingly revalues even the most `negative emotions and opens pathways to understanding the depths of the human soul. Michael Meade, author of The World Behind the World and The Water of Life This book changed the way I relate to others, and to myself, forever. Gavin De Becker, author of The Gift of Fear Table of Contents Part I: Restoring Your Native Language Introduction- Creating a Conscious Life My Empathic Journey- The Difficult Beginnings of Empathy Troubled Waters How We Got So Confused It Takes a Village Surrounding Your Emotions With Support Reviving Your Essential Nature Making Room for Your Central Self Avoidance, Addiction, and AwakeningUnderstanding the Need for Distractions Unintentional ShamansThe Role of Trauma in Soul-Making and Culture-Binding The Role of Emotions in the Resolution of TraumaWater Will Carry You Home The Steadfast Promise Why Love is Not an Emotion Building Your RaftThe Five Empathic Skills PART II : Embracing Your Emotions Wading Into the Water Awakening All of Your Emotions Anger: Protection and RestorationIncludes Rage, Fury, and the Healing of Trauma Apathy and BoredomThe Mask for Anger Guilt and ShameRestoring Integrity HatredThe Profound MirrorIncludes Resentment, Contempt, Disgust, and Shadow Work Fear: Intuition and Action Includes Anxiety, Worry, and the Healing of Trauma Confusion: The Mask for Fear Jealousy and Envy: Relational RadarIncludes Greed Panic and Terror: Frozen Fire Includes Healing from Trauma Sadness: Release and Rejuvenation: Includes Despair and Despondency Grief: The Deep River of the Soul Depression: Ingenious StagnationFocusing on Situational Depression Suicidal Urges: The Darkness Before Dawn Happiness: Amusement and Anticipation Contentment: Appreciation and Recognition Joy: Affinity and CommunionIncludes Exhilaration and Honoring Happiness in Others Stress and Resistance: Understanding Emotional Physics Emotions Are Your Native LanguageThe Fine Art of a Life Well Lived See more