The Christian Psychologist: Mental Health for 21st Century Christ Followers

Episode 21: Emotions

Episode Summary

In the 21st episode, Dr. Knabb offers an exploration of emotions, including what can go wrong, psychologically, spiritually, and relationally, when we struggle with impaired emotional clarity. First, a secular discussion of the topic is presented, before turning to a biblical understanding of emotions. Finally, a spiritual practice is offered, anchored to the Christian tradition, to better understand our emotional world as 21st century Christ followers, including God's presence in our "positive" and "negative" emotions.

Episode Notes

References\

APA Dictionary of Psychology. (n.d.). Emotion. https://dictionary.apa.org/emotions

Borgman, B. (2009). Feelings and faith: Cultivating Godly emotions in the Christian life. Crossway Books.

Cosby, B. (2012). Suffering and sovereignty: John Flavel and the Puritans on afflictive providence. Reformation Heritage Books.

Elliott, M. (2006). Faithful feelings: Rethinking emotion in the New Testament. Kregel Publications.

Gallagher, T. (2006). The examen prayer: Ignatian wisdom for our lives today. The Crossroad Publishing Company.

Gohm, C., & Clore, G. (2000). Individual differences in emotional experience: Mapping available scales to processes. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 26, 679-697.

Gratz, K., & Roemer, L. (2004). Multidimensional assessment of emotion regulation and dysregulation: Development, factor structure, and initial validation of the difficulties in emotion regulation scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 26, 41-54.

Greenberg, L. (2006). Emotion-focused therapy: A synopsis. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 36, 87-93.

Hareli, S., & Hess, U. (2012). The social signal value of emotions. Cognition and Emotion, 26, 385-389.

Ignatian Spirituality. (n.d.). The daily examen. https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/

Knabb, J. (2021). Christian meditation in clinical practice: A four-step model and workbook for therapists and clients. InterVarsity Press.

Krystal, H. (1988). Integration and self-healing: Affect, trauma, alexithymia. Routledge.

Linehan, M. (1993). Skills training manual for treating borderline personality disorder. The Guilford Press.

Manney, J. (2011). The prayer that changes everything: Discovering the power of St. Loyola’s examen. Loyola Press.

Oatley, K., & Johnson-Laird, P. (1996). The communicative theory of emotions: Empirical tests, mental models, and implications for social interaction. In L. Martin & A. Tesser (Eds.), Striving and feeling: Interactions among goals, affect, and self-regulation (pp. 363–393). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. 

Roberts, R. (2007). Spiritual emotions: A psychology of Christian virtues. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

Vine, V., & Aldao, A. (2014). Impaired emotional clarity and psychopathology: A transdiagnostic deficit with symptom-specific pathways through emotion regulation. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 33, 319-342.