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Ekman's Faces of Emotion



Though I still teach Ekman's Six Basic Human Emotions we know that there are more and we know that culture plays a much larger part in determining the nonverbal cues of emotions than we previously thought. This week I am giving a full day workshop to Therapists, Counselors and Law Enforcement officers who deal with children going through grief and trauma. I will share recent studies by psychologist James Russell and his team has shown that when more realistic less exaggerated faces are used, children may not recognize the emotions until they are as old as eight. Younger kids don’t know if a “disgust” face is supposed to be disgust or anger, for example, and that children who have been abused have a stronger reaction to angry faces.

Blessed with a fantastic audience of over 100 psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, school and grief counselors, pastors, nurses, doctors and a few brave young people up out of their chairs for my opening exercise in my full day program on Body Language for Dealing with Children’s Grief, Loss and Trauma. An amazing day! Upside down and sideways! Sponsored byTomorrowsRainbow.org We went deep! They learned how to establish trust, sense danger and dishonesty, recognize signs of someone at risk of of death by suicide, recognizing the nonverbal behavior of malignant narcissists, sociopaths, and psychopaths and healing from PSTD! I designed the program to be energizing and uplifting and filled with take away tools as well as an extra big dose of humor! I love to share this program so if you have an audience for it let me know!

Patti Wood, MA - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com.