“It only takes about 90 seconds to acknowledge a feeling, where you feel it in your body, and then do a technique to release it.” – Michelle Nietert.

Licensed Professional Counselor of 25 years, Michelle Nietert is the best-selling coauthor of the books Managing Your Emojis, God, I Feel Sad, God, I Feel Scared, Loved and Cherished, and the award-winning book for adults Make Up Your Mind. She leads a team of counselors as the clinical director of Community Counseling Associates in Dallas, TX.

During this first part of this two-part episode series, Michelle talks about her practice and how it can help children and parents emotionally, physically, and mentally manage emotions and hopefully live healthier, happier lives. She also discusses two of her new books, Managing Your Emojis and God, I Feel Sad. Managing Your Emojis is aimed at teaching children practical ways to manage their emotions using scripture, stories, and prayers. The God I Feel Sad book series is designed to help children cope with big emotions and acknowledge their feelings.

Michelle elaborates on these key takeaways:

• Practical ways for children to learn to manage their emotions.
• The impact of emotions on the body and the importance of addressing this in counseling.
• The importance of involving parents in the counseling process, including training parents in play therapy approaches.
• The risks associated with self-diagnosis and the need for professional guidance.
• The interconnectedness of physical, emotional, and psychological aspects of mental health.
• Recommendations for parents to research and vet counselors, including asking for references and utilizing resources such as Psychology Today.
• The importance of finding a counselor who aligns with the family’s beliefs and preferred counseling approach.
• Discussion of various coping techniques such as deep breathing and visualization.
• The importance of acknowledging and managing emotions rather than ignoring them and the potential consequences of ignoring or dismissing a child’s emotions.

Michelle’s Website, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Blog.

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