I love a self-help book that is beautifully organized. This book is very well organized. It is written in an unaffected manner, so each topic is easily digestible. Everyday conflicts are all addressed. Suggested approaches would provide kind and open resolutions.

This book is short but well-constructed, and I feel like I learned a few valuable coping mechanisms. ( )

It's a fine book, I suppose - if pop psychology is your thing.

It's challenging for me to read a book written by someone who sounds like perhaps she has taken one Psychology 101 course at some point in time and lives in a series of co-dependent relationships with anyone around her that she can suck in. I have encountered persons in my life who live the way the author advocates living in relation to their emotions, and every single one of them has been 1) self-entitled and 2) completely exhausting. The relationships don't last long.

It's true that every one of us experiences life and a unique series of challenges, ups and downs, trials, troubles, victories, what have you. It's also true that not everything in our life is an experience that has to be felt and reflected on and analyzed, etc. ad nauseum. Persons who insist on feeling everything exhaust themselves and waste so much of their emotional energy on things that simply don't matter.

There is some basic psychology in this book. There is some bunk pretending to be science in this book - a lot of that is easy to recognize because she attributes these ideas to persons she names, trying to lend the supposed authority of being named to the ideas. But the reader would be well to remember that there is a difference between science and scientism. And there's a good deal of pretentiousness in the book, as well. Trying to coin phrases and capitalize them as though they are important and are actually things is pretentious. "Conscious release" is therapy. The way we've been doing talk therapy for decades at this point.

It's an okay book if that's your thing. But there's nothing new or profound in it, and it's prone to lead the reader into marked exhaustion and co-dependency if followed as prescribed. There are much better ways in our world to handle your emotions and your experiences, ways that are healthier in the long run.

Also, I'm not sure how the author snuck this into the "religion and spirituality" early release because there is nothing religious nor spiritual about it. ( )

Easy to understand, useful concepts, helpful for understanding emotional work.

This is an informative book written in very accessible language for the average lay reader. I was familiar with many of the concepts from prior reading. I would definitely recommend this as a first choice for an individual who had no exposure to the ideas. for those who have experience with emotion work, it is still a useful read but probably less so.
The activities were only modestly useful for me. Early ones were similar to ones I had done before. Later ones that required a partner were not doable under my current situation. Nonetheless, doing the exercises was helpful for visualizing some of what I am currently working on.
Not a fast read for me. This was a good book to read a bit, think on it and then come back to read some more. ( )

I received a free copy of "The Emotional Backpack: How to Release Unhealthy Feelings" via LibraryThing. Vivian Dittmar did a great job with this book. It was well written. She gave great explanations and examples. I will admit it was much more that I thought it would be. There are several steps, and you start with the easiest and can work your way to more involved steps. I am glad I read this book. I think it can be helpful. ( )