59 books
—
32 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive” as Want to Read:
Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive
by
The mental well-being of children and adults is shockingly poor. Marc Brackett, author of Permission to Feel, knows why. And he knows what we can do.
"We have a crisis on our hands, and its victims are our children."
Marc Brackett is a professor in Yale University's Child Study Center and founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. In his 25 years as an ...more
"We have a crisis on our hands, and its victims are our children."
Marc Brackett is a professor in Yale University's Child Study Center and founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. In his 25 years as an ...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 304 pages
Published
September 3rd 2019
by Celadon Books
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30

Start your review of Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive

"And when we can't recognize, understand, or put into words what we feel, it's impossible for us to do anything about it: to master our feelings — not to deny them but to accept them all, even embrace them — and learn to make our emotions work for us, not against us." pg 2
Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. In this book, Permission to Feel, he has given the world a new set of tools to learn more about ourselves through our emotions, to facilitate ...more
Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. In this book, Permission to Feel, he has given the world a new set of tools to learn more about ourselves through our emotions, to facilitate ...more

Permission to Feel is a thoughtful, well-searched book about emotional intelligence and how it helps adults and children alike.
I wish Dr. Brackett’s program was available locally so I could see it in action because I have loved what I read about so far. He has designed a program called RULER, which is a prescription for healthy children, and includes healthier parents, teachers, and children. The focus is emotional health, and I love that.
I’m so grateful I read this, and I hope parents and teac ...more
I wish Dr. Brackett’s program was available locally so I could see it in action because I have loved what I read about so far. He has designed a program called RULER, which is a prescription for healthy children, and includes healthier parents, teachers, and children. The focus is emotional health, and I love that.
I’m so grateful I read this, and I hope parents and teac ...more

One of the best books on emotional balance I have read in quite some time. Mark Brackett does a fantastic job of 'mapping' all the problem territories one encounters when emotional boundaries are explored. The advice that Mark gives is based on his extensive experience (25 years as an emotion scientist) but is centered on a specific steps that can be taken and applied. Many of the issues facing our children today are covered with a rare applicability that translates smoothly into specific situat
...more

Earlier this year, I read Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and took the accompanying test, testing lower than I would have liked to. Reading Permission to Feel helped me understand that emotional intelligence is something that must be modeled and taught intentionally (so that explains a lot.)
I appreciate this book because it can be read from a lot of perspectives - for personal growth, as a parent, an educator, or just a human in the world. Brackett unpacks emotional intelligence in the first part of ...more
I appreciate this book because it can be read from a lot of perspectives - for personal growth, as a parent, an educator, or just a human in the world. Brackett unpacks emotional intelligence in the first part of ...more

Marc Brackett is a professor at Yale who studies emotional intelligence, especially in children. Through his research at Yale University’s Child Emotional Center, he’s come up with a science-based system called RULER that helps kids better process and express their emotions. He’s already implemented his method at hundreds of schools across the country and seen very positive (and quick) results.
The book is divided into three parts. Part One talks about what emotions are and how to become an emoti ...more
The book is divided into three parts. Part One talks about what emotions are and how to become an emoti ...more

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book which I was pretty excited about because everyone knows I have a self-help book addiction.
First, I’m going to address what we’re probably all thinking: the title isn’t the best. I was too embarrassed to read this on the subway or in the waiting room at my doctor’s office. To me, it conjures up images of weird touchy-feely group therapy sessions where people do things like punch pillows while yelling, “I HATE YOU DAD!” or dudes in pleated khak ...more
First, I’m going to address what we’re probably all thinking: the title isn’t the best. I was too embarrassed to read this on the subway or in the waiting room at my doctor’s office. To me, it conjures up images of weird touchy-feely group therapy sessions where people do things like punch pillows while yelling, “I HATE YOU DAD!” or dudes in pleated khak ...more

“When I tell audiences how extreme reactions, over the course of time, can actually alter the brain structure of their children, the room goes quiet. Everyone is silently totaling up the times they lost their temper and went crazy on their kids, sizing up how much permanent damage they did.”
Ignore the questionable title and go read this book. The focus of Brackett’s study is on emotional intelligence, and that we, as a society, need to improve the way we recognize, understand, label, express, an ...more
Ignore the questionable title and go read this book. The focus of Brackett’s study is on emotional intelligence, and that we, as a society, need to improve the way we recognize, understand, label, express, an ...more

As a parent this book was helpful and I have already been employing some of the tactics when addressing my children. I really appreciate Dr. Marc Brackett's perspective and self-awareness (which kind of goes without saying). I also am sad to read about education and our current system. We owe our kids more than we are giving them. I hope other parents and educators stumble upon this book as I have.
...more

Must read for teachers and parents

“But the trigger is inside us, not out there. We have to take responsibility for our actions rather than shift the blame elsewhere. It may not have felt like a choice, but it surely was—we decide how we’ll respond to life’s provocations.”
I find it interesting that so many people are unhappy with the title of this book. The way I interpreted it was that if we really own the feelings we have, name them, and let ourselves feel them, we can then decide how to respond to them. To be able to get to th ...more
I find it interesting that so many people are unhappy with the title of this book. The way I interpreted it was that if we really own the feelings we have, name them, and let ourselves feel them, we can then decide how to respond to them. To be able to get to th ...more

Thank you to @celadonbooks for the Advance Reading Copy of Permission to Feel. Please look past the "touchy-feely, warm and fuzzy" title, if you're inclined to be turned off by it. This is a thought-provoking and very relatable read that should inspire teenagers through adults to take a hard look at the role emotional intelligence plays in our society. You don't have to get too far into it before the relevance becomes evident. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a significant other, a co-worker
...more

Permission to Feel is a wonderful guide to recognizing our own emotions and those of others. Author Marc Brackett has spent years researching this important topic after his experiences as a child showed him how life-changing it was to have someone see, listen and truly recognize the things you have gone through as an individual.
While Brackett has spent decades studying this important topic, he presents the information in this book in an attainable and accessible manner for his readers. The first ...more
While Brackett has spent decades studying this important topic, he presents the information in this book in an attainable and accessible manner for his readers. The first ...more

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.

I greatly appreciated the author’s willingness to share his personal narrative and journey. I read this book for a class and while it was definitely more “text book” in layout, it had vignettes woven in, which is what keeps me going in any type of reading for learning vs. pleasure. I feel blessed to work in a district that is offering classes to support to social-emotional health and wellness of our staff, in order to provide these essential skills to our students.

I had read Susan David's "Emotional Agility," which then led me to Marc Brackett's work. I absolutely loved this book and have become very invested in Dr. Brackett's work. I've been following his book club on Zoom (weekly videos for about 6 weeks), which can be found on YouTube. He unpacks two chapters at a time and gives even more context to his work, adding in personal accounts. I didn't know that this book would have so much insight on emotional intelligence and social-emotional learning in s
...more

Years ago I was trained in the Yale emotional intelligence curriculum. I’ve long-awaited the commercial audience application of the material for teaching emotional intelligence in families, in communities, and in the workplace. Bracket does a terrific job of making social emotional learning research accessible to all. Highly recommend.

When it is hot as heck outside and there is nothing "cool" to do but reading sitting in front of the a/c as everything else makes you end up a sweaty mess, it is the perfect day for a speed reader. (Yes it is hot and humid in Canada!)
I received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.
The m ...more

I'm not totally clear what an “emotion scientist” does, but have long been interested in the concept of “emotional intelligence” and Brene Brown’s shame-focused research. Dr. Marc Brackett, Ph.D., is a professor in in the Child Study Center at Yale , and the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence.Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley, I received a copy of Dr. Brackett’s book Permission To Feel in exchange for my honest review.
As a Child, Dr. Brackett was taught by his un ...more
As a Child, Dr. Brackett was taught by his un ...more

This is an extremely important book that everyone should read, and especially educators because our emotional lives are the foundation of our good health and well-being. It is highly readable and the author uses real life situations and stories as well as scientific research and facts that clearly illustrate how vital it is for all of us,parents, teachers and children alike, to be aware of and able to regulate and accept our emotions.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced ...more
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced ...more

Thank you Marc! A good book—open and vulnerable, linking evidence based research with my life. Practical. Every human being-especially those that raise or work with little human beings should read. But relevant for all of us that have emotions, feelings, and moods. Read it for yourself and read it for those you impact. Great interview on Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us podcast as well.

I’m rating this book a 3 purely because it isn’t radical information to me this year. Had I read this book a few years ago when I believed all of my negative emotions were from temptations or that they were invalid, I would have been floored by this.
It is amazing to me how many people (including myself) were not ever taught emotional intelligence. This book gives you actionable ideas and advice if you are starting from scratch.
It is amazing to me how many people (including myself) were not ever taught emotional intelligence. This book gives you actionable ideas and advice if you are starting from scratch.

There is so really great information in this book that I find very relevant to today's society. I am a mother to a teenage son and I am grateful he is growing up in a time where it is acceptable for men to show emotion and be vulnerable. It's a confusing time as we try to navigate this new territory and this book is a great resource to have. I found that the book was a bit repetitive esp with regards to his personal story. I think the author was trying to make it part memoir but the flow was a b
...more

I found out about this book via Brene Brown’s podcast, in her interview with the author. I was intrigued to learn more. And man, I wanted to like this one so much. It just had too many issues.
First off, the author starts the book by attributing America’s high rates of anxiety, depression, suicide, etc. to our low emotional intelligence. As someone who battles anxiety, I took issue with the fact that he was implying that simply learning how to process your emotions will solve these complex mental ...more
First off, the author starts the book by attributing America’s high rates of anxiety, depression, suicide, etc. to our low emotional intelligence. As someone who battles anxiety, I took issue with the fact that he was implying that simply learning how to process your emotions will solve these complex mental ...more

I can't say that I loved this or that I particularly liked it. I found it informative. It included many real-life examples of using social and emotional learning skills. The style didn't particularly engage me in the material.
I requested and voluntarily read an advanced review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response. ...more
I requested and voluntarily read an advanced review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley and I offer my honest opinion in response. ...more

Are emotions good for us, or would we be better off without them? Many of us, especially males, had childhoods where emotions were almost taboo- especially sadness and fear. The subject of emotions is often ignored until things blow up or become unbearable. As human beings, our emotions are always there- reacting and prodding our behaviors, whether we like it or not.
Permission to Feel takes a look at the science of emotions, and encourages readers to look at their feelings from a wider perspec ...more

I love books that help us better understand and connect with our human psyche and emotions. Permission To Feel by Marc Brackett, Ph. D. does that in such an insightful and meaningful way. A big thank you to Celadon Books for the advanced copy. This is an exceptionally honest, compelling, eye opening and very necessary book. The author really explains to us how the importance of emotional learning is conducive to the wellness of our society. This brilliant book is one that everyone should read.⭐️
...more
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
News & Interviews
Kazuo Ishiguro insists he’s an optimist about technology.
“I'm not one of these people who thinks it's going to come and destroy us,” he...
232 likes · 25 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“The core skill of Understanding is the search for the underlying theme or possible cause that fuels the emotion. We’re not asking questions and listening to answers just to provide a sympathetic ear. As we listen, we’re looking for a meaning that goes deeper than the words being said.”
—
3 likes
“Labeling emotions accurately increases self-awareness and helps us to communicate emotions effectively, reducing misunderstanding in social interactions.”
—
3 likes
More quotes…