Frank Morales on Negative Emotions

On May 15th, Frank Morales, MS, CAMF from Family Services Center in Huntsville, Al gave a presentation on Managing Negative Emotions at the annual Alabama Employee Assistance Program Coordinators convention. Over 90 Attendees from employee assistance offices, along with representatives from substance abuse treatment centers, military behavioral health, and individual practitioners heard this Anderson & Anderson based talk on the value of managing these emotions, causes/sources, how they work in today's personal relationships/ workplace, and finally how to deal with the emotions themselves before they interfere with behavior. This presentation also dealt with how to deal with difficult people.

Both topics deal strongly with taking personal responsibility and the power of Emotional Intelligence, a strong component of the Anderson & Anderson model. This is so important in today's society, where the current climate has led many to experience hardship and develop many negative thoughts and emotions. However, it should not be an excuse for irrational behavior. Everyday we can read about some violent behavior, where one feels justified, or at the lower end, knows someone who justifies venting. Many people believe in venting, but, simply put, venting is all about you. It means you are probably a poor communicator as you do not care how your message is received or how it affects the listener (elements of self awareness). Secondly, it masks the real problem, that of not learning to be assertive.

The Anderson & Anderson curriculum is perfectly suited for these issues that are currently plaguing our society. Managing the negative emotions is our job, we are the gatekeeper.

Frank Morales, MS
Family Services Center
Huntsville, Alabama