by Harper West | Jul 24, 2015 | Accountability, Emotions
I saw key parts of the dashcam video from the Sandra Bland arrest and immediately noticed how the emotion of shame played a big role. Early in the traffic stop Ms. Bland stated to state trooper Brian Encinia that she hadn’t signaled a lane change because he was coming...
by Harper West | Apr 3, 2014 | Emotions
Pardon a former writer’s semantic debate about two words: anger and indignation. As a psychologist now, I certainly deal with anger as an emotion in the therapy room. But I say we need to revive use of the word “indignation.” It has a depth of meaning that “anger”...
by Harper West | Mar 9, 2014 | Emotions
In my last blog I wrote about shame being the true underlying emotion behind most angry outbursts and behaviors. People feel embarrassed so they lash out with anger, rather than admitting or expressing their real emotion of shame. This connection is very clear in...
by Harper West | Aug 14, 2013 | Emotions
In training my new dog Hope, I remembered a technique used by Cesar Millan. He says that changing the position of the dog’s tail can help reduce fears. If a dog has her tail held between her legs, it signals, of course, that she is afraid. By lifting her tail into a...
