Part of the Casswiki article series Books
The Quest to Feel Good is a book by Paul R. Rasmussen, first published in 2010.
The blurb on Amazon gives a good overall description of the contents:
Emotions, rather than simply being the result of random or disordered biochemical processes, are adaptive mechanisms that are often overly relied upon as a function of basic learning processes. The Quest to Feel Good helps the reader understand that negative emotions serve a critical adaptive purpose that functions in relation to one’s ultimate desire for a felt-positive state. Paul Rasmussen addresses the role of emotions as adaptive components, in combination with cognitive and behavioral processes, to our overall orchestration of life. To this end, the therapist is directed to use a client’s negative affect as a means of guiding critical therapeutic conclusions and decisions. Rasmussen emphasizes an integration of the basic premises of Adlerian psychology with the evolutionary-imperative model presented by Theodore Millon (1990, 1999). This integration is used to explain the primacy of emotions in the manifestation of most clinical conditions. This critical integration and focus makes the volume important, necessary, and unique to mental health professionals. Case examples and illustrations are also offered throughout the text.
In sum, this book is about how we as unconscious beings strive to “feel good” - to drive ourselves toward the pleasant feelings and away from the unpleasant feelings, and how our emotions are “adaptive mechanisms” that we often relied on throughout our lives. Rasmussen’s approach in this book is based heavily on the works of Alfred Adler with combination of an evolutionary perspective as presented by Theodore Millon and some primary studies on emotions. The key word in this book is “adaptive unconscious” whereas our emotions served a purpose(s) for whatever the reason and we do not know why we act or feel or think the way we do.
This book is recommended as another approach for helping those struggling with psychological issues.
Further readings
- Cassiopaea Forum: How Not To be, Laura’s posts
- Cassiopaea Forum: Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the stupidest fool of them all
See also
- Psychology
- Adaptive unconscious