The Courage to Feel: A Practical Guide to the Power and Freedom of Emotional Honesty

If you really want to improve your personal relationships this book is worth reading. Through an easy to understand formula called "the A.R.T. of vital relationships: be AWARE... take RESPONSIBILITY... tell the unarguable TRUTH" Andrew Seubert takes the mystery out of healthy relationship building. In the book he clearly explains that telling the truth to each other is an essential part of a healthy relationship. Although it might sound simple we often avoid telling the truth under an assortment of pretenses, most of which have the common theme of sparing ourselves or the other person some form of pain or hurt. Unfortunately, this avoidance usually proves toxic. The author teaches the reader how to tell the truth in a very straight forward, caring manner. His own self-disclosures and those of the clients he writes about, exude a disarming, inviting quality. Instead of avoiding the truth the reader is gently coaxed into embracing it. I believe this is Andrew Seuberts greatest gift to the reader.

The Courage to Feel; A Practical Guide to the Power and Freedom of Emotional Honesty by Andrew Seubert is a book with SOUL! I read ths book; Andrew's words come alive with personal meaning for me. I was deeply touched by the heart-felt messages of his clients cited on these pages. YES; It is a book with HEART! Are the 'Four Steps to Emotional Honesty' blended into my life? I feel the answer is YES! Recently, these steps had an impact on a major decision I made. The result; no negative energy was used by me in this transition. I love the format of this book! It is a clear and precise guide for understanding the role of emotions in my life; the language is inspirational. The delightful, Fable of Simon the Turtle, which prefaces each chapter adds a note of levity and encouragement. Pen and ink drawings of Simon and his friend, Ronald the Mouse, by artist Marc Rubin are enchanting; they capture the warmth and spirit of the book's message.... Thank you, Andrew, for creating a vision of life filled with emotional well-being and joy!!

The Courage to Feel is an easy and entertaining read filled with original stories and cartoons that keep the material fun and engaging. It covers in detail how to feel better through the simple act of acknowledging your own emotions instead of burying them. The book is filled with eye-opening examples of the lengths that people will go to to hide from themselves. Upon completion the reader will have a deeper understanding of how best to deal with other people in pain as well as themselves.

Unlike many self-help books, this one is not written in psych-speak, but in easy to digest, approachable language. Andrew's use of the turtle and the mouse is masterful. The analogy continually reminds the reader that the process is possible. He takes the reader through the process of recognizing, understanding and valuing their feelings in a step-by-step manner. He is gentle and compassionate. His interjection of real life examples, including bits of his own life experiences, make it even more credible.

Dar Williams, a folk singer whose popularity began in the coffeehouse and folk festival scene of New England in the early 1990's, wrote these words: "And when I talk about therapy, I know what people think/ That it only makes you selfish and in love with your shrink...." I ruefully smile at these lyrics as I go about my review for Andrew Seubert's new book, The Courage to Feel: A Practical Guide to the Power and Freedom of Emotional Honesty. Andrew Seubert, co-founder of The ClearPath Healing Arts Center in Corning, NY, has been a licensed psychotherapist for the past 25 years. He and his wife, Barbara Hale-Seubert, practice out of offices in Mansfield and in Corning, and I daresay have probably worked with a great number of the folks in the Twin Tiers. Lately, Andrew's expertise has lead him to more seminars and workshops where he trains other therapists, as far away as Holland and England. Perhaps I'm not the best person to write this review, because I'm not sure how many people will take me seriously. Why? I am completely biased. I've known Andrew, and his family, for almost a decade. I think Andrew is a great person, and an amazingly talented, effective therapist. I've already learned the techniques he outlines in his book, most of them in the privacy of Andrew's office and in my own life as I struggled to grow through very rocky soil. Therefore, I can't come to this book with a fresh perspective. I read it as one cheering Andrew's success, hoping that it is everything he wants it to be, and also as one for whom the explanations for these concepts are already well-ingrained. For me, this book is a refresher course as much as anything. On the other hand, maybe that makes me particularly well-suited to recommend this book. After writing several articles in the last year in which I publicly disclosed my struggles with manic-depression (bipolar disorder), I have had a staggering number of people call, email, or come to the store to ask advice on books on mental health, and to thank me for speaking up. While I can now speak up about my feelings and experiences, suggesting books that give good advice to people in dealing with their feelings is difficult at best. Each person, each family's situation is so different. The Courage to Feel, however, allows me a more solid recommendation, since it is advice for everyone to use. Seubert's book is exactly what the title describes it to be - above all else, a practical guide to feeling our feelings, which takes a great deal more courage than most of us imagine. After all, feelings are just there, right? They happen to us, they're part of life, and growing up means learning to deal with them - essentially, at least for most of us, that means shoving them away, tuning them out, so we can deal with life. Not so fast, Andrew says. That is not really dealing with feelings at all. Feelings are life: they are the vital energy that keeps us engaged with ourselves, the people and the world around us. When we sho