The Happiness Trap

Russ Harris exposes a cruel irony: the relentless chase for happiness is precisely what makes us miserable. Drawing on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Harris dismantles the cultural myth that negative emotions must be eliminated to live well. Instead, he introduces psychological flexibility as the antidote, teaching readers to defuse from unhelpful thoughts rather than fight them. Through ACT's six core processes, this guide replaces the exhausting pursuit of feeling good with something more durable: living by your values.

You'll learn:

- Why control strategies backfire against difficult emotions

- How defusion techniques weaken thought-tyranny

- What psychological flexibility actually looks like in practice