Why do all emotions—even the most painful ones—have value?
 How do we recognize the defenses we put up against them?
 How do we get to the root of anxiety—the most common mental illness of our time?
 How do we show compassion to the child we once were and to the adult we are now?

In this book, acclaimed psychotherapist Hilary Jacobs Hendel explains how emotions affect mental health. She finds that many psychological difficulties are not related to depression, but are caused by blocked emotions. Based on AEDP, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, one of the most modern therapeutic approaches, and the Change Triangle, the book shows how we can escape from trapped emotional pain and reconnect with ourselves.

Through specific examples of patients who suffered from fear and anxiety, the author teaches us to recognize not only traumas, but especially the defenses and inhibitory emotions (shame, guilt, anxiety) that appear as symptoms of depression and block the core emotions (anger, sadness, fear, disgust, joy, excitement, sexual arousal). Fully experiencing these emotions allows us to carve a new path toward mental well-being and emotional fulfillment.

The Change Triangle offers us a roadmap to move beyond our defenses and reconnect with our core emotions. When we revisit our basic emotions, when we feel them and emerge from them stronger, we experience relief and, at the same time, anxiety and depression decrease. By being in touch with our core emotions, our vitality, self-confidence, and calmness increase. From a biological perspective, our nervous system is revitalized.

Working with the Change Triangle makes the brain more flexible, enabling us to effectively control how we feel, think, and behave. When people learn about the Change Triangle and understand how emotions work, they are transformed.