List of Emotions PDF
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Looking for a list of emotions? This article contains a list of emotions PDF for therapists to download and share with clients.
As a therapist, one of the key functions of your role is to support individuals in gaining greater insight into their emotions and feelings using a range of tools, such as the list of emotions PDF included with this article.
The tools and techniques you use in therapy will depend on a client’s age. For example, children may need more visual aids, like a feeling words list, to recognize and understand their emotions. An adult, on the other hand, may benefit from using a list of emotions to identify and choose from, or learn about from psychoeducation on the hierarchy of emotions.
This guide provides an overview on the benefits of working through a list of feelings and emotions with clients. We also include a free downloadable list of emotions PDF to save to your electronic health record (EHR) for future use.
The benefits of reviewing emotions with clients
The goal of reviewing emotions with clients, through the use of a list of emotions, is to enhance emotional regulation and strengthen their coping strategies.
Some of the benefits of reviewing emotions with clients include:
- Enhanced emotional awareness
- Strengthened ability to identify their emotions and how they respond
- Helps to identify areas of difficulty and ways to strengthen coping strategies
- Supports emotional regulation and emotional acceptance
- Provides a visual aid to understand different emotions and their definitions
- Gives the client an opportunity to process and explore alternative understandings
- Normalizes talking about feelings, emotional management, and problem solving
- Provides non-judgmental validation
- Builds confidence, self-awareness, and self-esteem
What are the 7 human emotions?
Emotional theory actually dates back to ancient Greece and China, providing inspiration for future interventions in psychopathology. Theories about basic emotions—like the seven basic emotions—include evolutionary psychologists like Charles Darwin and many more contemporary psychologists.
These psychologists posited that humans have a limited number of emotions, including anger, fear, joy, and sadness. They proposed that emotions serve to perform basic life tasks, like survival.
While many theorists differ on the exact number of emotions, there are two main emotion lists that are widely accepted:
Eckman’s theory of seven basic emotions
Paul Eckman’s list of emotions includes fear, anger, joy, sadness, contempt, disgust, and surprise. However, he later changed his theory, removing contempt and adding several new emotions, including embarrassment, excitement, pride, amusement, guilt, relief, satisfaction, and shame.
Plutchik’s theory of eight emotions
Robert Plutchik arranged the emotions in a color-wheel diagram, which includes anger, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, anticipation, trust, and joy.
These basic emotions can be broken down further in a diagram— called an emotions or feelings wheel.
For example, an emotions wheel may cluster emotions and feelings into three levels. At the first level, the client identifies the basic emotion they are feeling. Levels two and three get more specific, helping the client hone in on the exact emotion they are experiencing.
Here is an example of the different levels of emotions that may be included on a feelings wheel:
Sadness
- Level 1: Grief, hurt, loneliness, vulnerable, despair, guilty, depressed, disappointment
- Level 2: Isolated, abandoned, powerless, ashamed, empty, inferior, fragile, embarrassed
Happiness
- Level 1: Excitement, gratitude, interested, pride, powerful, peaceful, trusting, optimistic, accepted, playful
- Level 2: Aroused, cheeky, successful, respected, valued, confident, creative, loving, free, joyful, thankful, intimate, inspired
Angry
- Level 1: Let down, humiliated, bitter, mad, aggressive, frustrated, distant, critical
- Level 2: Hostile, infuriated, annoyed, betrayed, resentful, provoked, jealous, indignant
Fearful
- Level 1: Scared, anxious, insecure, weak, rejected, threatened
- Level 2: Helpless, frightened, inadequate, overwhelmed, worried, nervous, exposed, excluded, worthless, insignificant
Disgusted
- Level 1: Disapproving, disappointed, awful, repelled
- Level 2: Horrified, detestable, embarrassed, judgmental
Surprised
- Level 1: Startled, confused, amazed, excited
- Level 2: Dismayed, disillusioned, awe, eager, energetic, shocked, perplexed, astonished
Download the list of emotions PDF for a full list of emotions, including a visual of an emotions wheel to share with clients.
What is the hierarchy of emotions?
Another emotional theory describes a hierarchy. The hierarchy prompts the client to describe their primary emotions, like the basic emotions listed above, and secondary emotions, like affection or longing. This theory has a third layer, which categorizes tertiary emotions, such as caring, compassion, and liking an item or person.
A 2017 study from researchers at University of California, Berkeley, challenged the theory of basic emotions by having participants self-report their emotions after viewing short videos. They identified 27 distinct emotions, which they illustrated on an interactive map.
The new list of 27 emotions include: admiration, adoration, aesthetic appreciation, amusement, anger, anxiety, awe, awkwardness, boredom, calmness, confusion, craving, disgust, empathic pain, entrancement, excitement, fear, horror, interest, joy, nostalgia, relief, romance, sadness, satisfaction, sexual desire, and surprise.
How to use the list of emotions PDF with clients
We’ve provided the list of emotions PDF that provides three different ways to illustrate emotions, depending on your client’s age.
You may find the cartoon images helpful to work with younger clients, while the list or wheel may be more helpful when working with teens and adults.
Download and print or electronically send the list of emotions PDF to clients to help them identify emotions, and then discuss emotional regulation and coping skills together.
If you’re looking for a list of positive emotions, consider sharing this Positive Traits Worksheet set with your clients.
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