I Shouldn't Feel This Way

I am such a fan of the authors writing and was so excited to get my hands on an ARC of her newest upcoming release. This book did not disappoint. I highlighted/underlined so much of the book. My favorite chapters were the ones about defensiveness, and body image. Dr. Cook helps readers to acknowledge the emotions that they are feeling and get curious about them- instead of feeling shame about them. She walks through the process of Naming whats hard, framing your reality, and braving a new path.

"The simple act of stopping to notice what you're thinking and feeling- without criticism, judgement, or shame- brings calm to the chaos inside." This is exactly what Alison helps the readers to do. I love how she mixed different talk therapy techniques, with stories of clients that she worked with, with application questions for your own life.


This book is set to release 5/7/24 and I will for sure be buying a hard copy and a few copies for friends. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC. Cant wait for this one to be released and in the hands of many many people!

This is a must-have resource to help one improve mental health, resiliency, and live a more full and happy life. It is full of great strategies, advice, and easy to implement ideas. This is one I'll return to again and again. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

This is the book on emotions that the world needs. So many important topics are covered with realistic ways to calm your soul. One read through is not enough to truly grasp all the concepts. I do feel like there’s almost too much in this book, but really well thought out both from a psychology standpoint and biblical standpoint.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I've been listening to the podcast and have read The best of you, and boundaries for your soul. I was incredibly excited to read this book. I loved the way the book is separated into three parts. I connected with every chapter and appreciate the guidance of naming, framing and braving. I've already noticed my levels of joy increasing as l've been practicing naming my feelings and thoughts and aligning them with what is true from a biblical standpoint as well as the reality of what's actually happening in real time. I was someone who always struggled with hearing my inner critic, and guilt messages. I never realized there's a "false guilt" we can experience. I've bookmarked many pages with steps to navigate certain experiences I'm sure I will go through that I can utilize. I love how she addresses toxicity and learning about blame shifting, control and manipulation, and naming these toxic behaviors will make a massive ditterence in my ability to set boundaries for myself. I feel full of hope and a lot more BRAVE after reading this book. Thank you so much Alison!!

The beauty in Dr. Alison Cook’s writing is the authentic connection she creates through her transparency in exposing common thinking patterns and struggles that we all wrestle through. The sharing of those real experiences and revealing our underlying and often hidden feelings draws the reader comfortably in to sit beside her through an invitation to pause and work through them. Cook lays open the truth of our whole selves and helps us navigate the complexity of understanding those feelings through practical tools by naming them, reframing our understanding through a lens of truth, and guiding us courageously forward to brave a new path, changing unhealthy patterns. The reader can move from a place of confusion and guilt-driven expectations to a path of clarity and peace anchored in biblical truth and professional experience. Cook offers therapeutic advice through a practical pattern of simple application thinking tools that anyone can use.

In just a few pages, I fell deeply into I SHOULDN'T FEEL THIS WAY by Alison Cook, entranced by her compelling and compassionate guidance to quieting the noise inside my head, silencing the negativity, and imagining another way entirely of living my life without the "ities" of fake positivity, toxicity, all the approaches and makeshift temporary hacks to make an overfull and overstressed life feel better. Cook doesn't mince words, doesn't not promise an easy solution, but does offer a vision for wellness, for living from the heart, and giving your entire energy to being present, feeling all the feelings, and living a great life. Throughout, I felt like I was talking with a trusted, incredibly wise friend. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

After going through many counselors and feeling like I wasn't getting the tools I needed to process grief and my tendency for emotional numbness, I finally found someone who could give me the tools needed to process and begin to talk about how I felt. This book felt like that. Alison Cook has brilliantly summed up what great counseling can unlock in us and what tools we can leave with to better practice emotion and human connection. I really enjoyed how much she tailored this book to everyone, knowing everyone struggles with similar issues & emotions so differently without overwhelming the concepts she discusses. Having read many books in this genre, it is rare to come across one that is practical, has great examples, and is rooted in faith. I think the most impressive parts of this book are how she calls out and works through spiritual bypassing and the many simple and effective tools offered to begin to practice how we can name and frame what we are feeling no matter who we are connecting with in our lives.

I'm grateful to have received an early copy for review.

From the start, this book names a courageous statement we're too often afraid or ashamed to admit. By identifying it and repeating it, we're given permission to acknowledge it, enter a liminal space and bravely take steps to radically accept it.

Dr. Cook provides us with incredibly practical tools to move through our guilt and discover brave steps forward. Through her profoundly simple "name, frame, brave" process, we're provided with an outline for how to deal with the many ways we guilt ourselves in the ways we treat ourselves and others.

By giving us permission to stop "shoulding" on ourselves, she provides us with hope for a lighter, brighter future. She offers a framework for a future filled with less expectations and obligations, and with the freedom to brave new choices instead of defaulting to our old habits of self-sabotage.

If you've ever found yourself stuck in loops of overthinking your guilt, shame, or anxiety, this book will help and guide you on your way to clarity, confidence, and freedom.