Stuck Not Broken
Stuck Not Broken
Justin Sunseri
The Way You Understand & Manage Emotions is WRONG (Here's What To Do Instead)
16 minutes Posted Sep 1, 2025 at 12:00 pm.
Introduction and bold claim about emotional understanding
Recent client conversations about emotions
Common wisdom about emotions
Five ways people avoid dealing with emotions
The two main problems with emotional management
Understanding emotions as bodily experiences
How to change emotions through body state
Practical steps to start emotional regulation
Conclusion and next steps
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Show notes

Justin Sunseri challenges the widely accepted (and often ineffective) ways we understand and manage our emotions. He makes a bold claim: the common wisdom you've been taught about your feelings is likely wrong. Drawing from client conversations and his expertise as a therapist and coach, Justin reveals the two core problems with traditional emotional management and the five common avoidance tactics we all use.

Get ready to discover a "weird but effective" body-based approach that offers a sustainable path to emotional regulation, moving beyond just changing thoughts or behaviors. Learn practical steps to connect with your body's safety state and begin transforming your emotional experience today.

Key Takeaways:

  • Most conventional approaches to understanding and managing emotions are flawed.
  • Identify the five common ways you might be avoiding your emotions (resisting, ignoring, behavioral adaptations, intellectualizing, seeking external validation).
  • Understand why changing thoughts or behaviors alone provides only temporary relief.
  • Learn that emotions are primarily bodily experiences, not just mental states.
  • Discover how to change your emotional state by intentionally connecting with your body.
  • Get two actionable steps to start building your body's safety state right now.

🌸 Not sure which stuck state you're in? Recognize where you're at and join the free community here - https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuck?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=stuck-page

It helps you recognize your state. It never tells you what you are. No quiz, no verdict, no card.

🤩 Ready to go deeper? Explore resources at every price point here - https://www.stucknotbroken.com/how-i-can-help-you?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=how-i-can-help

🙂 Don't know the Polyvagal Theory? Catch up here - https://player.captivate.fm/collection/cce134e7-1550-4d33-8e56-738d344c63b0

This and other content produced by Justin Sunseri (“JustinLMFT”) (i.e; podcast, YouTube, Instagram, etc.) is not therapy, not intended to be therapy or be a replacement for therapy.  Nothing in this creates or indicates a therapeutic relationship.  Please consult with your therapist or seek for one in your area if you are experiencing mental health symptoms.  Nothing should be construed to be specific life advice; it is for educational and entertainment purposes only.

Justin Sunseri is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist registered in the State of California (#99147).

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Mentioned in this episode:

Naming Your Stuckness

Not sure which stuck state you're in? That's normal, and more common than you'd think. I made a free page that lays the stuck states out in plain language so you can find words for what you're experiencing. No quiz, no email just to look:

https://www.stucknotbroken.com/stuck?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=dynamic_spot&utm_campaign=stuck-page