Constructive Wallowing

March 31, 2014
If you’ve ever ignored difficult feelings or if your inner critic has been riding you to be constructive every minute of the day, psychotherapist Gilbertson has written a counterintuitive self-help book that offers constructive advice for boosting self-compassion by wallowing in negative feelings. She begins with an easy premise: letting yourself experience both positive and negative emotions allows your body to have a healthy balance, which helps you to make informed, rounded decisions. Alternatively, ignoring healthy wallowing is a recipe for escalating problems as well as sustained depression and unresolved emotions. Although it’s a simple premise, it’s certainly not easy to change ingrained habits. Luckily, Gilbertson has foreseen this and included many summaries, examples, and exercises throughout to help the reader cope with anticipated struggles. Nevertheless, her suggestion to seek counseling or therapy delivered regularly and too often sounds like a blanket sales pitch to promote the profession. While it covers many good points, Gilbertson’s workbook is designed for those already therapeutically inclined, and it tries overly hard to convince the reader of its premise and value.