The Language of Emotions
by Karla McLaren, MEd
Summary
This book treats every emotion — including the ones we typically label "negative," like anger, jealousy, and shame — as carrying specific, useful information, rather than being problems to eliminate. For readers who've been taught that certain emotions are simply bad and should be suppressed, this offers a genuinely different, more workable relationship to the full range of what you feel.
Who it's for
Readers who've internalized the idea that certain emotions (anger, jealousy, shame) are simply bad, and want to understand the useful information each emotion is actually signaling.
Key takeaways
- A detailed guide to what each specific emotion — including uncomfortable ones — is actually signaling
- Why treating emotions as information rather than problems changes how workable they become
- Practical techniques for listening to and working with emotions instead of suppressing or judging them
Karla McLaren’s approach treats every emotion, including ones like jealousy, anger, and shame that most people were taught to suppress or feel ashamed of, as carrying genuinely useful information rather than being inherently problematic.
Structured almost like a reference guide, with dedicated sections on individual emotions, this book helps readers understand what each specific feeling is actually signaling — a different and often more workable approach than generic advice to simply “regulate your emotions” without addressing what each one is trying to communicate.
Available on Amazon
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