Emma Dibdin

I am a therapist and journalist writing a feature for The Guardian exploring how visual tools like the Feelings Wheel can help everyday readers build emotional granularity (identifying specific, nuanced emotions rather than broad states like "sad" or "angry"). The article will cover how emotional granularity aids in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal communication, incorporating key concepts from Lisa Feldman Barrett's theory of constructed emotion. I am looking to quote 1–2 additional expert sources to complement my primary interview. Ideally, these will be clinical psychologists, neuroscientists, licensed therapists/counsellors, or academic researchers specialising in emotion/affective science. The areas experts will need to discuss are as follows: - Clinical / Scientific Perspective: Briefly explain why putting a precise name to a complex emotion is a useful tool, how it could help with emotional regulation/distress tolerance. - Practical Use: How do you utilise tools like the Feelings Wheel (or similar emotional vocabulary frameworks) with clients or in real-world application? - Common Pitfalls: What is a common misconception people have when trying to label their emotions? - Discuss alexithymia (difficulty with identifying/describing emotions), what mental health conditions this symptom tends to occur in, and how/whether tools like the Feelings Wheel can help. Interviews can be conducted over the phone, or by email in a written Q&A format.