In this episode, Noah and Jamie discuss how to differentiate feelings and emotions from thoughts, and how to work with them within the context of bottom-up vs. top-down therapy models. Also included is some discussion around when emotions may actually be caused by physiological imbalances and some thoughts on emotional addiction.  

0:00 Introduction 

1:34 Differentiating thoughts, feelings, emotions 

5:16 Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Therapy strategies 

8:05 When emotions masquerade as thoughts (and online communication) 

12:18 Psychosomatic mapping in the therapy room 

20:25 The pitfalls of a solely top-down therapy focus 

22:27 The pitfalls of a solely bottom-up therapy focus 

25:22 An example of a “faux” bottom-up process 

31:31 Patterns of consumption and its effect on emotions 

32:57 Natural predispositions- "the stars impel, they don't compel" 

36:55 Where does responsibility for one’s emotions really lie? 

46:26 The nuances of feelings vs. emotions 

53:54 “Pure” thoughts- do they exist? 

56:33 Empathy 

59:29 The pitfalls of identifying as an empath 

1:10:52 Options for emotional regulation 

1:06:34 Emotional Addiction 

1:16:40 Pros and cons of naming emotions