"Showing you how to think your way to happiness"


    EMOTIONAL TRAPS
    How a Little Logic
    Can Change Your Life!
    Raymond J. Hill, Ph.D.






    WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT EMOTIONAL TRAPS:

    "Emotional Traps is an important book by a creative and experienced psychologist
    who is willing to stand up for his convictions and his point of view. I have
    known Dr. Hill for many years, and he certainly practices what he preaches. He
    raises disconcerting and seminal questions about the direction our culture is
    taking. He premise that emotion rather than logic and morals have become the
    benchmark of our actions/behaviors is certainly topical and germane.

    "In my opinion, he is accurate in stating that attorneys, mental-health
    practitioners, and educators have led us down the false path of making decisions
    based on our emotions rather than on logic and rationality. I like his demand that
    we own our emotions and take responsibility for empowering our self with self-
    talk to make the right moral and logical choice in our decision-making. I agree
    with him that only God can decide if we sinned, but he rightfully emphasizes that
    we need to try to use our rationality and logic to arrive at better choices.

    "I strongly recommend this book for any individuals that want to firm up their
    boundaries so that we can get away from the feel-good culture we live in."

    Elliot S. Cohen, M.D.
    Diplomat, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology

    ***

    "For nearly thirty years, I have known Dr. Ray Hill as a friend and fellow
    psychologist. He is always eager to learn and increase his skills by attending many
    professional conferences, reading, and examining the latest theories, techniques,
    and practices. He is truly an example of a hard-working yet kind, ethical, and
    successful psychotherapist. Ray has more energy than anyone I know, and now
    he has put his years of experience into a compelling and helpful book.

    "Emotional Traps is practical, well written, easy-to-read, and almost
    conversational in style. Those in the healing professions and those who are
    seeking help can benefit from reading this comprehensive work. As an additional
    byproduct, the reader will also get to know Ray Hill because he is very self-
    disclosing in his off-handed remarks and examples.  

    "While I sometimes sit on the other side of the fence from Ray in political views, I
    am certainly in full agreement with almost all of his psychological (and common
    sense) presentations in his landmark book.

    "Emotional Traps is a thorough overview of emotions and 'emotional traps,'
    written from a holistic perspective that includes our physical, intellectual, and
    spiritual selves.

    "Ray himself has a fine mind, solid logic, and clear thinking. It is no surprise that
    he urges us to use our intellect in order to handle more effectively whatever the
    world presents us with to confront and resolve. We can often be carried down the
    wrong path by letting our emotions alone rule. If we are willing to dust off our
    intellect and thinking again, realizing that this is where our emotions arise from,
    then we can emerge more competent, healthy, and fully functioning.

    "What Dr. Hill has written has roots in time-honored principles and is now
    presented to us in the up-to-date and down-to-earth realities that we face every
    day. He gives us practical ways to view a wide array of situations: personal
    relationships, the media, politics, the military, and spirituality.

    "This book brought me back to basic truths for a better life, which I may have let
    slip over the years. For that I am thankful that Ray wrote in this powerful and
    engaging way."

    Martin G. Olsen, Ed.D., P.C.
    Licensed Clinical Psychologist

    ***

    "Emotional Traps is a wise and insightful book. It discusses how we  over-
    emotionalize in our culture. It discusses how emotions can override the intellect,
    and it helps to bring us to an understanding of the balance between thinking and
    emotion."

    I found the book to be very readable. Part II of the book is especially helpful, as it
    lays out ways to overcome multiple emotional traps, including the traps of blind
    ideology, anger, depression, anxiety and fear, pride, arrogance, the existence of
    evil, prejudices, and the influences of power, money, and fame. Not only were
    these sections clear and well written, but each chapter addresses specifics and 'self-
    talk' to bring that balance back into play between our logic and our emotions.

    "Dr. Hill's section on spirituality and religion was particularly thought-provoking
    and certainly would serve as a catalyst for much discussion. I appreciated Dr.
    Hill's directness, bluntness, self-disclosures, and personal experiences in the
    preparation of this book. It made the reading very human and enjoyable.

    "Finally, Part IV of Dr. Hill's book addresses practical applications in logic that
    nicely help tie his book together."

    Steven Stockdale, Ph.D.
    Licensed Clinical Psychologist