Feel, Heal, and Let That Sh*t Go: Your Guide to Emotional Resilience and Lasting Self-Love

Readers’ enjoyment of this book will hinge on their willingness to embrace its somewhat-ridiculous conceit: that just as one defecates when one feels the urge, thereby moving physical waste out of the body, one must also emotionally “defecate” when difficult feelings arise and not let emotional waste build up in the system. This concept is repeated often throughout the work, and while it is an excellent metaphor, readers who are averse to excrement references might give up before the midway point. That would be a pity; this work has a lot to offer, including extremely valuable advice about the difficult work of confronting internal anger, sadness, fear, and shame. Licensed psychotherapist and self-described “emotional potty trainer” Kaplan (host of the podcast Healing, Feeling Sh*t Show) explains that most people have not resolved their emotional traumas. Instead, they’ve likely tamped them down by self-medicating with streaming, scrolling, alcohol, or drugs. She walks readers through the process of emotional potty training, providing useful and manageable exercises for working through anger, sadness, fear, and shame. For some of the activities, the book offers modifications based on readers’ environment and physical ability.