Understanding Your 7 Emotions reveals how our emotions shape the way we experience and respond to the world around us. They’re not just feelings we have but essential tools that help us navigate life itself.

This book offers a clear, in-depth exploration of seven core human emotions: fear, sadness, anger, disgust, guilt, shame and happiness. Rather than simply defining these emotions, it shows you how to live alongside them constructively and how to work through the difficulties they can create. Each chapter focuses on one emotion and includes a section on ‘emotional traps’, where we find ourselves stuck in unhelpful patterns of response, along with practical guidance on how to break free.

Drawing on the latest emotion science and cognitive behavioural therapy, the book presents a refreshing approach to mental health that moves beyond traditional diagnostic labels. Throughout, you’ll find real-world examples and hands-on exercises designed to help you apply these insights to your own life, supporting you in achieving greater wellbeing and contentment.

Whether you’re simply curious about how emotions work, facing your own mental health challenges, or looking to better understand the people around you, this accessible guide offers valuable knowledge for anyone seeking to improve emotional wellbeing. It’s equally useful for professionals in healthcare, counselling and other caring fields who want to deepen their understanding of the emotional lives of those they support.

Lawrence Howells is a clinical psychologist and associate professor specialising in cognitive behavioural therapy and emotion science. He works clinically with adolescents and adults using these approaches, and he is the author of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Adolescents and Young Adults.