Making Sense of Emotion

Innovating Emotional Intelligence

By (author) D. John D. Ninivaggi Foreword by Linda C. Mayes

Not available to order

Publication date:

31 August 2017

Length of book:

346 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442275898

Children not shown tools to develop emotional intelligence fail emotionally and socially. Basic empathy skills are absent. In adult life, employment and occupational advancement are less likely. Making Sense of Emotion grasps the Yale integrative emotional intelligence ability model. Adding key missing elements, this book unlocks its potential to trigger “emotion performance utilization” in real life and real-time.

The epidemic of overusing medications, substance use disorders, addiction, drug overdoses, even global “doping” in sports reflects emotional malaise. Emotional illiteracy is one underlying cause and demands innovative emotional intelligence. Written by a psychiatrist, this volume supplies literacy tools---a vivid action language showing how emotions unfold as personal dramas. Emotions are our first language---the mother tongue infants and children are “lived by.” Emotional awareness is refined emotional intelligence.

This book clearly defines emotions, feelings, affects, moods, and the social-emotional competencies needed to understand and build emotional awareness. Skills take shape resulting in unfolding self-attunement. In real-time, emotional intelligence is effective emotional performance. The missing link between the two is the application of emotion regulation in real life---knowledge in the head displayed in skilled everyday behavior. Innovative ideas in this book explain how to apply this emotional hygiene fitness program to benefit children and adults.
Making Sense of Emotion provides a unique, humanistic approach to emotional intelligence and psychiatric care. Based on decades of his interactions with patients, Dr. Ninivaggi’s approach to emotional intelligence is truly focused on patient care and patient health, complete with practical guidance for readers. Readers will likely find his “biomental” perspective to be a refreshing take on the power of emotions as influencers of one’s mind and body, and his recommendations for using emotional literacy in the therapeutic process stand to be incredibly useful for both patients and practitioners.