In this episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua Sook Ning is joined by Dr. Lou Cooper, Chair of the Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy and host of the Emotion Focused Podcast.

Navigating our emotional world is rarely straightforward. Lou shares how the way we respond to feelings – whether by suppressing, managing, or exploring them – is shaped not only by our personal histories, but also by our cultural context.

The conversation highlights how easily we can bypass emotional signals, especially in cultures where emotional expression is discouraged or misunderstood.

Lou also invites us to consider what happens when we ignore or avoid our emotions: we lose access to vital information about how we’re really doing, what matters to us, and what we might need to change.

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