What are you feeling right now? If you had to identify a specific emotion in the moment, could you do it? Many adults still struggle with identifying their emotions and the emotions of others, yet we often expect children to be able to do it. Everyone’s facial expressions vary a bit. What one person’s face looks like when they are concentrating may look like another person’s face when they are frustrated. These differences can make it challenging for children to identify the emotions of others. Just as challenging may be identifying their own emotions. Emotion identification is key to understanding oneself as well as those around you. It is an important life skill. If you believe some of the youths you are serving are struggling with emotion identification, then the new course we are offering, “Insight Building: Emotion Identification” is the resource you need to address this concern.
Emotion identification is essential. It enables a person to correctly identify what they are feeling so that they can appropriately handle a situation and deal with their emotions in an effective, healthy manner. It is also important that an individual can identify the emotions of others to appropriately respond and react to them in a given situation. PracticeWise is now offering a new online continuing education course, “Insight Building: Emotion Identification,” to provide behavioral and mental health providers with a great tool for helping youths accurately identify emotions.
Struggling with emotion identification may be more common than many people realize. This is particularly true for youths on the autism spectrum. While emotions can be identified by more than facial features, such as tone of voice and body language, one’s face is often the first thing people look to as a cue to the emotion of another person. A mom of an autistic son shared, “Particularly when our son was younger (grade school age), he would try to tell me how I was feeling. He would tell me I was mad or sad when, in fact, I was totally fine. I would have to try to convince him that I wasn’t feeling the emotion he was assigning to me. I think maybe if I wasn’t smiling or laughing, he thought I was mad or sad.” This article will discuss emotion identification, its importance, how it is worked into therapy, and the new course that PracticeWise is offering providers to help their clients with emotion identification.
What Is Emotion Identification, and Why Is It Important?
Emotion identification is an individual’s ability to be aware of affective responses that occur during varied daily interactions. As mentioned above, it is important in our everyday interactions to be able to identify our own emotions as well as the emotions of others. Being able to do so better equips us for handling the ins and outs of daily living and all the social interactions that entails.
Youths consistently interact with teachers, classmates, parents, and siblings. If they cannot properly identify their emotions and the emotions of others, it can lead to unnecessary conflict as emotions are misinterpreted. For example, sadness may be expressed as anger. If a child learns to identify that they are feeling sad, they can express that to a parent or sibling. They can receive a hug and kind words of encouragement or empathy which would be a positive and appropriate interaction based on the emotions involved. However, if a child is unable to identify that they are feeling sad and instead lashes out angrily, they may end up in a fight with a sibling which results in an entirely different and negative interaction. Instead of receiving consolation and empathy which is what the child needs, they could receive angry, unkind words in exchange for their own. Emotion identification can completely change an interaction.
How Is Emotion Identification Worked into Therapy?
When providers have the right tools they can work with their clients on emotion identification. As they help their clients understand how to identify their own emotions and the emotions of others, they can practice this in a myriad of ways. They can identify the emotions of people in pictures, audio excerpts, and videos. They can practice role-playing scenarios to help their clients identify the emotions of themselves and others. They can work on appropriate responses for specific emotions. The provider needs to have the necessary tools in their therapy toolbox. That is where PracticeWise comes into play.
Insight Building: Emotion Identification
Continuing Education Course Offered through PracticeWise
Our collection of online courses has expanded to include a new Distance Learning course, Insight Building: Emotion Identification. Gain essential tools for effective practice in “Insight Building: Emotion Identification.” This course focuses on helping youth to build insight concerning their emotions and the emotions of others. Emotion Identification assists youth in reflecting on their emotions as well as how to identify and label their own and others’ emotions. This helps youth to gain a new or deeper understanding of how emotions are expressed and the thoughts and behaviors related to them. This course will help you explore crucial elements, understand the practicality of this strategy, and master its application for improved service delivery. This comprehensive course includes instructional videos and progress questions, a handy Practice Guide, and the opportunity to earn a continuing education certificate upon successful completion. View the Distance Learning Course, Insight Building: Emotion Identification, in the PracticeWise store.
Summary
Emotion identification is an essential tool for everyday interactions. Understanding their emotions can help youths better navigate their relationships at school and at home. However, not all youths have the capability to identify emotions accurately. Sometimes they need help to learn this important skill. With the right provider, youths can learn how to more accurately identify their feelings and the feelings of others which can only benefit them. To equip providers with the necessary tools to help their clients with emotion identification, PracticeWise now offers the online continuing education course, “Insight Building: Emotion Identification.” We hope that, as providers, you will take full advantage of this fantastic course. As you equip yourselves to better serve your clients, you are equipping them with necessary life skills. PracticeWise is proud to be a part of this endeavor.
