The Emotionally Sensitive Person: Finding Peace When Your Emotions Overwhelm You

by Karyn D. Hall PhD

Overview

It’s a commonly heard phrase: Stop being so sensitive. These words can be frustrating to hear, and if you are an emotionally sensitive person, they often have the opposite of the desired effect. You cannot simply switch off your emotions like you would a TV show or a radio station playing an annoying song.  But there are effective techniques that can help you manage these emotions before they take over your life.
 
In The Emotionally Sensitive Person, a psychologist provides proven-effective cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques to help people like you who struggle with intense emotions. In the book, you will learn powerful tools for staying in the present moment, identifying emotional triggers, developing a strong and healthy identity, and experiencing overwhelming or uncomfortable emotions without becoming upset.
 
You’ll also learn how to be more relaxed in your relationships, how your personal values can affect your thoughts and actions, and how to recognize negative thought patterns before you start acting on them. If you are tired of feeling hurt and helpless when it comes to your feelings, this book will provide you with evidence-based strategies for taking charge of your emotions—whether it’s at home, at work, or in your relationships.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781608829934
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	11/01/2014
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 6.00(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Karyn D. Hall, PhD, is founder and director of Dialectical Behavior Therapies Center in Houston, TX. She is a radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO DBT) supervisor, and is a certified Linehan DBT Board of Certification clinician. Hall provides both individual and team supervision in RO DBT and DBT. She specializes in the treatment of individuals with maladaptive overcontrolled coping.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Introduction 1

1 Understanding Emotional Sensitivity 7

2 First Steps to Reclaiming Control 19

3 The Basics Make a Difference. Really 43

4 Introduction to Mindfulness 61

5 Identifying Your Emotions 81

6 Letting Go of Judgments 103

7 Learning Effective Decision Making 117

8 Developing Your Identity 137

9 Living with or Overcoming Loneliness 159

References 187

Interviews

Karyn Hall lives in Houston, TX.

Editorial Reviews

As an emotionally sensitive person, I love this book! Karyn does an outstanding job of addressing this delicate topic with both empathy and compassion. The Emotionally Sensitive Person provides a practical guide for successful coping that also serves to inspire. Highly recommended.”
—Amanda L. Smith, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) therapist and treatment consultant


“The Emotionally Sensitive Person is exceptional. This unique manual, compassionately written by Karyn D. Hall, will appeal to and serve the needs of those who live with highly sensitive emotions. She highlights proven methods to consciously and skillfully manage unhelpful thoughts and behaviors by following and practicing personalized exercises. Read, practice, experience, and enjoy The Emotionally Sensitive Person as you learn new ways to enhance your life.”
—Diane and Jim Hall, educators for National Alliance on Mental Illness Family-to-Family and NEA.BPD's Family Connections programs


“Emotionally sensitive people will want to keep this compassionate, instructional guidebook on their nightstands. Hall’s clinical wisdom shines through as she offers numerous helpful tools, informed by dialectical behavior therapy, to be used immediately to better cope with one's emotional states. I will recommend this self-help book to my own clients to complement and enhance the psychotherapy.”
—Alec L. Miller, PsyD, professor of clinical psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and cofounder, Cognitive and Behavioral Consultants, LLP


“This book takes readers by the hand and gently introduces them to the struggle, suffering, and hidden potential of the emotionally sensitive person. Drawing from her wealth of clinical experience, Hall presents essential strategies to support the development of emotional sensitivity into a strength. The chapters are well organized and concisely written. Therapeutic exercises are practical with clear and concise instructions. Anyone who has been accused of being ‘too sensitive’ can benefit from this book!”
—Elizabeth W. Newlin, MD, assistant professor in the Menninger department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine and director of the adolescent treatment program at the Menninger Clinic


“For anyone who’s ever thought of themselves as emotionally sensitive—or someone who’s lived with someone who is—this book is an invaluable gem. Using proven therapeutic techniques, Hall delivers on helping people keep their emotional sensitivity, but honing it so that it is more beneficial than hurtful. I can’t imagine a better resource for those who are grappling with this issue in their lives.”
—John M. Grohol, PsyD, founder and CEO of psychcentral.com, the Internet’s leading mental health site


“Karyn D. Hall brings a wealth of wisdom and experience to the pages of her new book, The Emotionally Sensitive Person. With practical advice and useful exercises, she teaches us how to dismantle an emotional roller coaster style and to replace it with just the right amount of sensitivity and feeling. Highly recommended!”
—John M. Oldham, MD, chief of staff at the Menninger Clinic and professor of psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine

From the Publisher