How Systems Suppress Emotion in the Name of Control
In many civic and organizational spaces, emotional expression tends to be pathologized – especially when it disrupts power. This session challenges the cultural narrative that political resilience requires detachment or self-erasure. Participants explore how emotional norms are politicized, and how “wellness” rhetoric is used to depoliticize harm. Together, we’ll examine how reclaiming emotion can support both personal and collective strength.
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Expose emotional suppression as a tool of control and reclaim regulation as a skill
🧠 Emotion Governance
🧠 Regulation vs. Suppression Science
🧠 Psychology of Power
☑️ Understand how wellness rhetoric reinforces systems of power
☑️ Identify the difference between regulation and suppression
☑️ Examine how wellness rhetoric masks harm
☑️ Apply regulation tools rooted in context, not compliance
Expressing emotion sometimes feels risky
You'd rather be heard than be told to "stay calm"
NGOs and Nonprofits
Facing pressure to use “resilience” language that obscures burnout or structural harm
Mental Health Professionals
Working in care systems where emotional expression is discouraged or pathologized
Communications Teams
Navigating public language that polices emotion through norms of civility or neutrality
Youth Workers
Supporting young people whose feelings or resistance are minimized by institutions