Power of our feelings with Dr. Brittany Chidley

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Today, we are thrilled to have Dr. Brittany Chidley with us. She's a clinical psychologist, marital and family therapist with over two decades of experience in the mental health field. Currently, she is the director of Trails Therapy and the founder of We Feel, a platform that offers resources about emotional wellness. Our discussion today will focus on emotional wellbeing and the importance of tuning into our feelings.

Dr. Brittany, thank you so much for joining us today. "Oh, my pleasure, Sharon. Thank you for having me. I'm delighted to be here and very excited about this topic."

Let's dive right in. Could you explain the difference between emotions and feelings? It can be a bit confusing. "Sure, Sharon. This might sound nitpicky, but in terms of research, it helps to differentiate the two. Emotion is more of an unconscious response of your body. For example, if you're sitting in your office and someone comes banging on the door, your body might have a fear response. How we make sense of that response is our feeling. Emotions are the electrical activities in our body, while feelings are our perception of those emotions."

That's a great explanation. So, turning into our emotions, what advice would you give to people who feel they overreact and want to change? "In some ways, we're talking about everyone. Everyone has emotions, and as a psychologist, I see many people who struggle with regulating their feelings. I reference Mark Brackett’s research on the RULER approach, which breaks down ways to cope with intense emotions: recognizing the feeling, understanding its origin, labeling it, explaining and elaborating on it, and finally, regulating it."

We often try to change our emotions, which sometimes makes us feel worse. Can you elaborate on that? "Absolutely. I see this daily in my practice. Most people seek out a psychologist because they want to feel better. Sometimes, situations outside of our control cause trauma or grief, and we can't change these situations. Understanding our feelings and choosing coping skills allows us to handle our emotional wellbeing better."

Dr. Brittany, it's been a pleasure talking to you. Your insights on tuning into our feelings are invaluable. "Thank you so much, Sharon. It's been a pleasure meeting and talking with you.

About Dr. Brittany:
Dr. Brittany is a clinical psychologist and marital and family therapist. She has been in the mental health field for two decades and is the director of Trails Therapy, APC and the founder of And We Feel and platform with resources about emotional wellness.

Website and Social Media links:
https://andwefeel.com/
https://trailstherapy.com/
https://www.instagram.com/andwefeel/

The Power of Peacefulness and Stress Relief Podcast was created by Sharon McLaughlin MD FACS to help normalize mental health.

If you need help creating peace in your life be sure to download our peacefulness workbook.
https://sharonmclaughlinmd.com/workbook

I would love to hear your thoughts.

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