• course Info
  • Content
  • Ce Approvals

A Practical Guide to Understanding, Processing, and Living with Your Emotions

CE Hours 1

About this course

This continuing education course provides mental health professionals with foundational knowledge about emotions and practical strategies for helping clients develop emotional presence and tolerance. Clinicians will learn to distinguish between emotions and feelings, understand the adaptive functions emotions serve in human survival and connection, and explain why avoidance of emotions maintains psychological distress. The course covers evidence-based approaches to emotional processing, including mindfulness, validation, self-compassion, and somatic awareness techniques that therapists can teach clients immediately. Through clinical case examples demonstrating the consequences of emotional avoidance and the benefits of emotional processing, participants will gain competence in helping clients transform their relationship with emotions. This experiential approach allows clinicians to understand psychoeducational content as if they were the client, enhancing their ability to guide clients through the often-challenging work of staying present with difficult emotions in service of greater psychological well-being and meaningful living.

Learning Objectives

  • Compare between emotions (instinctive, preconscious bodily responses) and feelings (conscious mental interpretations of emotions).
  • Explain why emotions serve adaptive functions in human survival, social bonding, and navigating relationships.
  • Describe evidence-based strategies for helping clients stay present with emotions rather than avoiding them, including mindfulness, labeling, and self-compassion techniques.

Learning Levels

  • Beginner
  • Intermediate

Course Instructor(s)

  • Erin Margolis, LMSW, PsyD

    Dr. Margolis is dedicated to creating a safe, compassionate space where clients can explore what gives their lives meaning and move forward with authenticity. She helps clients connect to their feelings, uncover their inner strength, and build self-awareness, self-esteem, and self-trust. Dr. Margolis earned her Master's in Social Work from Columbia University and her doctorate through the PGSP-Stanford PsyD Consortium. She completed a mindfulness teaching certification during an Integrative Health fellowship at the West Los Angeles VA. Her diverse clinical training spans hospitals, community mental health, the VA, and group practice settings. She specializes in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for individuals and couples, using attachment theory and the healing power of emotions to help clients understand their patterns and move beyond what no longer serves them. Her integrative approach also draws from mindfulness, ACT, psychodynamic theory, existential therapy, CBT, and Motivational Interviewing. Dr. Margolis practices in Los Angeles and virtually throughout California, focusing on women's mental health, trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship issues, and grief. She also provides professional mentorship to graduate students and early career psychologists.

Disclosure

DISCLOSURE OF RELEVANT FINANCIAL RELATIONSHIPS CE Learning Systems adheres to the ACCME’s Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Medical Education. Any individuals in a position to control the content of a CE activity ― including faculty, planners, reviewers, or others ― are required to disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities (formerly known as commercial interests). The following relevant financial relationships have been disclosed by this activity’s planners, faculty, and the reviewer: PLANNERS AND REVIEWER The planners of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships. FACULTY The faculty of this activity have reported that they have no relevant financial relationships.

References

  • Barlow, D. H. (2002). Anxiety and its disorders: The nature and treatment of anxiety and panic (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
  • Bowlby, J. (1991). Postscript. In C. M. Parkes, J. Stevenson-Hinde, & P. Marris (Eds.), Attachment across the lifespan, 293-297. Routledge.
  • Brach, T. (2003). Radical acceptance: Embracing your life with the heart of a Buddha. Bantam Books.
  • Costello, P. C. (2013). Attachment-based psychotherapy: Helping patients develop adaptive capacities. American Psychological Association.
  • Foa, E. B., & Kozak, M. J. (1986). Emotional processing of fear: Exposure to corrective information. Psychological Bulletin, 99(1), 20–35. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.99.1.20
  • Germer, C. K., & Neff, K. D. (2013). Self‐compassion in clinical practice. Journal of clinical psychology, 69(8), 856-867. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22021
  • Grant, D. M., Wingate, L. R., Rasmussen, K. A., Davidson, C. L., Slish, M. L., Rhoades-Kerswill, S., Mills, A. C., & Judah, M. R. (2013). (2013). An examination of the reciprocal relationship between avoidance coping and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 32(8), 878-896. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.2013.32.8.878
  • Greenberg, L. S. (2002). Emotion-focused therapy: Coaching clients to work through their feelings. American Psychological Association.
  • Greenberg, L. S., & Pascual‐Leone, A. (2006). Emotion in psychotherapy: A practice‐friendly research review. Journal of clinical psychology, 62(5), 611-630. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20252
  • Ham, J., Murty, V. P., & Helion, C. (2025). Curiosity and the regulation of affective memory. Emotion Review, 17(3), 153-167. https://doi.org/10.1177/17540739241303500
  • Hartman, D., & Zimberoff, D. (2004). Corrective emotional experience in the therapeutic process. Journal of Heart-Centered Therapies, 7(2), 3-35.
  • Hayes, S. C., Luoma, J. B., Bond, F. W., Masuda, A., & Lillis, J. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy: Model, processes and outcomes. Behaviour research and therapy, 44(1), 1-25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.06.006
  • Hofmann, S. G., & Hay, A. C. (2018). Rethinking avoidance: Toward a balanced approach to avoidance in treating anxiety disorders. Journal of anxiety disorders, 55, 14-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2018.03.004
  • Johnson, S. M. (2019). Attachment theory in practice: Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) with individuals, couples, and families. The Guilford Press.
  • Johnson, S. M., & Campbell, T. L. (2022). A primer for emotionally focused individual therapy (EFIT): Cultivating fitness and growth in every client. Routledge.
  • Kabat-Zinn, J. (2016). Mindfulness for beginners: Reclaiming the present moment—and your life. Sounds True.
  • Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic experiencing–effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review. European journal of psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023
  • Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger: Healing trauma. North Atlantic Books.
  • Lewis, M., Haviland‑Jones, J. M., & Barrett, L. F. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of emotions (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
  • Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.x
  • Linehan, M. M. (2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
  • Mordka, C. (2016). What are emotions? Structure and function of emotions. Studia Humana, 5(3), 29–44. https://doi.org/10.1515/sh-2016-0013
  • Neff, K., & Germer, C. (2018). The mindful self-compassion workbook: A proven way to accept yourself, build inner strength, and thrive. Guilford Publications.
  • Neff, K. D., Kirkpatrick, K. L., & Rude, S. S. (2007). Self-compassion and adaptive psychological functioning. Journal of research in personality, 41(1), 139-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2006.03.004
  • Smidt, K. E., & Suvak, M. K. (2015). A brief, but nuanced, review of emotional granularity and emotion differentiation research. Current Opinion in Psychology, 3, 48-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2015.02.007
  • Torre, J. B., & Lieberman, M. D. (2018). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling as implicit emotion regulation. Emotion Review, 10(2), 116-124. https://doi.org/10.1177/1754073917742706

CE Process Info

Content

  • Lesson 1
    1 parts
    • How to Feel Your Emotions
  • Lesson 2
    1 parts
    • Why do we have emotions?
  • Lesson 3
    1 parts
    • Do I really have to feel them?
  • Lesson 4
    1 parts
    • How does feeling them actually help me?
  • Lesson 5
    1 parts
    • How do I actually do it?
  • Lesson 6
    1 parts
    • Integration
  • Joint Accreditation

    Joint Accreditation (JA)

    In support of improving patient care, CE Learning Systems is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

  • American Psychological Association (APA)

    Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work (NYSEDSW)

    CE Learning Systems SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #0060.

  • New York Education Department Board of Creative Arts Therapy (NYSEDCAT)

    CE Learning Systems (d/b/a CE-credit.com), is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed creative arts therapists. #CAT-0008

  • New York Education Department for Licensed Mental Health Counselors (NYSEDLMHC)

    CE Learning Systems, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0072.

  • New York Education Department Board for Licensed Psychoanalysts (NYSEDLP)

    CE Learning Systems, LLC dba CE-credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychoanalysts #P-0031.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology (NYSEDPSY)

    CE Learning Systems dba CE-Credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0016.

  • New York State Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy (NYSEDMFT)

    CE Learning Systems dba CE-Credit.com & AddictionCounselorCE.com is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Marriage and Family Therapy as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0045.

A Practical Guide to Understanding, Processing, and Living with Your Emotions
You Have Completed This course
$119
You are enrolled
  • CE Hours
    1
  • Type
    Self-Paced
  • Publication Date
    Jan 13th, 2026

Reset password


Reset your password by providing your email below





Next

We sent a reset password link to the email address you provided.


{{reset.email}}


If you do not see the email, try checking your junk or spam folder.


If you don't receive a link in the email you provided, please click the button below to resend the verification email.

Resend

Please wait {{timer}} seconds to resend



Next

Sign in


Enter your email to get started.




Next

Sign in


Good news! Your email is associated with an account. Enter your password or click here to reset it




Login

Thanks for signing up!


We sent an verification email to the address you provided. Please check your email to verify your email address.


{{signup.email}}


If you do not see the email, try checking your junk or spam folder.


If you don't receive a link in the email you provided, please click the button below to resend the verification email.



Resend

Please wait {{timer}} seconds to resend

Sign up




Sign up

Shopping Cart


Items
Price
Remove
  • {{ item.name }} ({{ item.courses.length }} courses)

    {{ item.credit_hours }} Credits
    {{ item.coupons.map((c)=> c.code).join(', ') }}
    ${{ item.totals.price }}
    ${{ item.totals.total_price }}
Apply


Cart is empty

Thank you for your purchase


To access the course content, click the button below. Enrolled courses may be accessed at any time by going to your Account and clicking Courses


Go to Course

Thank you for your purchase

To access your courses, please click the button below. Enrolled courses may be accessed at any time by going to your Account and clicking either Events or Courses


My Account

Payment

{{$store.state.payment.paymentErrorMessage }}
Pay now