Cover Image: The Big Feelings Survival Guide

The Big Feelings Survival Guide

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

What a beautifully illustrated workbook! The exercises here will definitely get you to dig deeper and encourage you to think about what you’re feeling. This was my first time learning about dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and I loved doing the exercises.

Can’t wait to purchase this for my loved ones!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this workbook. It is beautifully illustrated and I love that it's suitalbe for all ages of people facing mental health problems. I also really love that it's created by an actual art therapist and councelor (the book is based on Dialectical Behavior Therapy) so it's not your typical self help cash grab nonsense. I would definitely recommend this to everyone.

Was this review helpful?

A very cozy workbook that soothes you with creativity as you learn about big feelings and processing them. Great for children of all ages.

Was this review helpful?

As a huge fan of books that equip people with language to describe their emotions and mental health, I thoroughly enjoyed The Big Feelings Survival Guide. I thought this was a really well written guide I would recommend to people who want to develop more emotional literacy.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. All opinions are my own.

As someone who dropped out of high-school due to depression and general anxiety disorder, I have to say this book would of been a wonderful tool to help me learn about myself. As an adult who still suffers from both, this book is going on my shopping list.

It's great as a refresher tool and as a first step for self examinating of your emotions

Was this review helpful?

I did not expect to feel but I had big feelings . This book is perfect for those that need mental health tools to tackle what they are feeling. This should be required reading for everyone that needs to walk through what you are feeling. Highly recommend .

Was this review helpful?

This is a difficult one to review. I went in expecting a fairly straightforward mental health-based workbook, and in some ways it is. However, it has very detailed exercises, that I feel would probably work better if you 1. have had DBT before, or 2. are working through these exercises with a therapist. On their own, I didn't feel most of them helped me much, which was my only way of deciding if I could recommend the book.

That said, this may be great for other people. The exercises are definitely interesting, and most people who are looking will probably make use of something in this book; I have noted a few of them for myself. In other words, your mileage will vary.

Thank you to Workman Publishing Company and to NetGalley for this ARC.

Was this review helpful?

I received a copy of this in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

This was a fantastic book. I believe I will be purchasing a physical copy for my oldest kiddo and I to review together as well, [ she's a teen. ]

I learned some great techniques in this book. I'm not normally huge on any sort of mental health or self-help books either, so keep that in mind, haha.

Was this review helpful?

This survival guide gives you the skills and techniques to build up and practise, so dealing with difficult situations, emotions and feelings becomes more manageable. There are activities to complete in the moment, specially targeting fear, or anger, or other heightened emotions when it all feels a bit much, and you’re overwhelmed.. You can work through at your own pace, and keep referring back to previous sections as often as needed. Whether you complete the book page by page, or dip in at random, there’s going to be something that help you. I love that each activity explains the technique behind it, without being full of psychotherapy jargon. Would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Workman Publishing Company and Netgalley for an eARC of this book to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

This is a great guide! I will definitely buy a hard copy when it is available, as these are things that I can apply to my own life, along with some of the people I am close to. It really brings the tried and true DBT process together in an easy for anyone to understand format.

Was this review helpful?

I was so excited to read a book made for the general public by an art therapist. As a music therapist myself, it is great to see us represented in books like this. This book is amazing and I am already seeing ways that I can use some of these ideas to work with my clients. However, this book is a great stand alone to understand emotions and process things. Of course, this does not take the place of therapy, but is a great jumping off point or a great workbook to work through with a therapist!

Was this review helpful?

Such an interesting book!

Consisting of four emotions, this book brought me to an at-home therapy. Filled with cute drawings and writings, it also offered me spaces to make it my own. I can definitely buy myself the physical book since I wasn't able to doodle and write on screen.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you NetGalley and Workman Publishing Company for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

What a great idea from this author and artist to fulfill the need for a workbook that uses art therapy and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). I had no idea what DBT therapy was, but this book has great visual exercises that I could see psychologists, school counselors, and even parents or individuals using over and over again.

I think this is meant to be of use for adults primarily, but I could see myself trying to adapt this for my own children as we try to work our way through the complicated way to manage our own emotions.

Overall, this is a great and beautifully illustrated workbook that would be a great tool or gift for almost anyone.

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautiful workbook that is ideal for anyone who is needing more support with their mental health. For a lot of people, journaling can feel incredibly overwhelming to start. We know it has proven benefits but a blank piece of paper can feel daunting, especially when you have a lot of thoughts to try and process through. This is a creative workbook that allows you to work through some of your struggles while being able to be artistic and showcase your personality, interests, and emotions. I reviewed a digital copy but I know the physical copy will only be more stunning.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely adorable and approachable! This little resource is an excellent addition to anyone's mental health wellness routine. The exercises can be as short or long as you need. I appreciated that the exercises were loosely grouped by umbrella emotion categories and that each exercise was labeled with which broad DBT tool/aspect it was strengthening. Usually I find that resources like this can be hard to "flip through" and use as needed, but this definitely felt very "pick up and put down as needed" friendly.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you, Workman Publishing Company, for the advance reading copy.

I appreciate the contents regarding mental health wellness. I find the topics mentioned relevant and the prompts quite helpful.

I do know that this workbook is meant for younger audience and for everyone else who needs to sort out their emotions which we find overwhelming.

I find the illustrations and the prompts a bit chaotic at times. I feel that if this guidebook were meant for me, I would ask for a little more space for me to work out the exercises/ activities.

A good guidebook. It will help guide the reader to work out on three main emotions: anger, fear and sadness.

Was this review helpful?

What an absolutely fantastic workbook for individuals of ALL ages. From childhood to adulthood, I can see the benefits and fun of engaging in the multitude of activities and prompts within the pages of this amazing book. Focusing on DBT, which is an interesting form of therapy, it uses four main areas to help people overcome emotional and mental problems.

My 16 year old daughter is currently in therapy for anxiety and mild depression. We did a couple of pages together and the addition of art therapy was right up her alley (since she loves art). Not only can readers express themselves with words, but with colors and imagination as well. This allows people to focus without focusing.

The information was given in a no-nonsense way but in a way that was fun and easy to understand. I’m honestly a bit obsessed with this workbook because I feel like it explains DBT thoroughly and gives people a better understanding of the newer form of psychiatric care.

I can definitely see myself purchasing one or two copies of this book for myself and my oldest.

Was this review helpful?

This book is unique and so helpful! I love workbooks like this, that guide you through feelings, that even as an adult, I'm not sure how to navigate. It is a way to compartmentalize emotions and place them where they belong. I feel like a big part of anxiety is inviting fear and stress where it isn't welcome. This book helps to iron out the way we are currently living and paving the path for a well managed future!

Was this review helpful?

The Big Feelings Survival Guide is a perfect book for anyone wanting to get more in touch with their emotions. I think it could be used alone or in conjunction with therapy. I loved how bright the pages were, and the various exercises were easy to try. I appreciated the different DBT approaches as well as helping the reader come up with solutions to their emotional concerns.

Was this review helpful?

The Big Feelings Survival Guide is a workbook designed to assist an individual with understanding and coping with his/her feelings. The book’s underpinning is that of Dialectical Behavior Therapy which helps individuals manage emotions and live a life worth living. The workbook introduces the main tenets of Dialectical Behavior Therapy including: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness and explains them in an easy to understand way. The book is split into 4 different sections: identifying the feeling, anger, fear, and sadness. So, as the user of the book, you first navigate to identify your feeling and then choose the applicable feeling and complete those activities for relief. The book is colorful, whimsical, and easy to utilize. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to better understand and regulate emotions. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?