Alexithymia—difficulty recognizing and verbalizing emotions—is a trait possessed by about 8% of males and 2% of females. Individuals with alexithymia experience emotions, but have a hard time expressing and naming them. Instead, when asked about emotions, they’ll describe physical symptoms, or talk about behavior.

The Emotions Reference Sheet handout is designed to help clients recognize and talk about their feelings. This handout is a simple but helpful resource that presents a list of emotions, along with common signs and behaviors that can help to identify them.

This handout is a great reference when clients are having difficulty describing how they are feeling. It also helps them connect an emotion to a behavior. Clients can refer to this handout throughout a therapy session to facilitate their communication of emotions.

For a simple list of emotions, check out our List of Emotions worksheet.