Understand Emotion
Transform Your Life

What You’ve Been Told About Emotion

Most of us grew up believing emotions are automatic, universal reactions:

Emotions are generated by a certain area in brain
Emotions happen to us.
We’re either in control—or overwhelmed.

From parenting to school to pop psychology, we’ve learned that emotions are hardwired, universal “programs” playing out in the brain. But that story? It’s outdated neuroscience.

The Truth About Emotion

Emotions aren’t hardwired reactions. They are constructed experiences, by using:

Past experiences
Cultural learning
Internal body signals
The meaning your brain makes in the moment

Emotions are not built-in, they are built-by-you. You don’t “have” emotions—you actively create them, usually without realizing it.

You are the architect of your own experience.

- Lisa Feldman Barrett

Why This Changes Everything

Real Growth

You’re not at the mercy of your anger, anxiety, or sadness

Understand and express feelings with more accuracy.

Heal from emotional patterns, not just manage them.

What Can We Do Differently

Understanding emotions starts with changing the questions you ask:

❌ “Why am I like this?”
✅ “What is my brain predicting?”
✅ “What context is shaping this feeling?”
✅ “What new patterns can I create?”

And from there, you can begin:

Naming emotions with nuance

Noticing your body’s cues

Learning the ability to identify and label subtle feelings

Practicing new interpretations and mental models

Ready to Feel Differently?

If emotions are built, you can build better ones. You can learn to:

✔️ Pause the old emotional habits
✔️ Create space between body and story
✔️ Shape emotions that serve you

🔹 Join our emotional intelligence workshop
🔹 Book a session with one of our therapists
🔹 Download our free guide: “5 Ways to Rewire Emotional Habits”

Coastal Forest Counselling, led by Yoly Lin, provides compassionate and effective therapy for individuals and couples seeking support with mental health challenges. We provide trauma therapy, depression counselling, anxiety counselling, and couples counselling Burnaby. Combining personal experience with professional expertise to help clients find healing and resilience, Coastal Forest Counselling is a trusted resource for mental health counselling in Vancouver area.