Emotional Response-Ability: A Breakthrough in Emotional Mastery
Fulfillment Focus for May, 2025
by Maurice Thibodeau
π 6-minute read
Over the years, I’ve trained with—and learned from—some of the most brilliant minds in emotional development. But recently, I experienced something that felt like a breakthrough.
I completed a training called Coaching Leaders with Emotional Response-Ability, created by behavioral scientist Charles Jones, founder of The Institute for Adaptive Mastery.
In this post, I’ll share my honest review of the training, break down the key principles you can start using right away, and explain why I believe this body of work is a game-changer in emotional regulation and personal growth.
And if this resonates with you—even a little—make sure to read to the end, where I’ll invite you to a free live workshop with Charles himself happening Tuesday, May 27 at 3:00 p.m. Central Time. Trust me, you’ll want to be there.
How I Discovered This Work
I met Charles through Dr. Ryan Gottfredson’s community for vertical development—a space filled with intellectually rigorous leaders exploring the frontiers of transformation.
It didn’t take more than a few sentences out of Charles’s mouth for me to realize this man was deep. He wasn’t just reciting well-known emotional intelligence principles—he was delivering something foundational.
I followed my curiosity straight to his website and found an expansive body of work that offered a radically clear, practical approach to emotional self-mastery. Within weeks, I had joined his training to learn the model for myself.
What Is Emotional Response-Ability?
At its core, Emotional Response-Ability teaches that most of us—especially leaders—respond to negative emotions from a place of emotional victimhood, blaming circumstances or others as the source of discomfort.
Charles names this pattern the Mind-Heart Disconnection Virus.
Here’s how he describes it:
“They arise when your subconscious determines that you're not on track to meet one or more of your psychological needs. These signals are designed to activate your metacognition... but here's the challenge: most leaders don't interpret negative emotions this way. Instead, they look outward, blame others, and unconsciously spread judgment and negativity. This is emotional victimhood. It's not a character flaw—it’s a virus. And it disrupts leadership, erodes empathy, and sabotages performance at the core.”
When leaders operate from this infected state, they default to defensiveness, micromanagement, volatility, and other disempowering behaviors.
Emotional Response-Ability is about curing this disconnection. It teaches leaders—and all of us—to rewire our relationship to emotion by taking full ownership of our internal experience.
Why This Work Matters (and Stands Apart)
This isn’t just theory. It’s practical, structured, and immediately usable.
Charles builds his model on a powerful yet accessible foundation: 40 universal psychological needs. It’s not overwhelming like some of the broader lists I’ve encountered, yet it’s comprehensive enough to address nearly every emotional response you’ll encounter in daily life.
What sets Charles’s work apart is his precision and his ability to translate complex emotional processes into tangible needs -- calling for attention. He builds upon—but goes beyond—models like Nonviolent Communication (NVC), which he has studied, trained in, and taught extensively.
His approach aligns beautifully with other transformational methodologies I practice, including:
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The Bio-Emotive Framework by Dr. Douglas Tataryn
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Somatafullness by Dr. Javisu
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Accelerated Emotional Release Therapy by John Tozeland
Emotional Response-Ability offers a unique clarity that is additive to what I know today, and I predict would be for most others doing coaching and transformative work.
How the Model Works - SIMPLIFIED
I’ve already begun integrating this model into my own coaching and as part of pre and post hypnotherapy sessions, especially in corporate leadership and post-retreat integration. I created an acronym to help me explain and simplify the process, I call the ARC of Resolving Negative Emotions:
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Acknowledge your emotion – “I am feeling _____”
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Reveal the underlying unmet need – “Because I have a need for _____”
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Choose your next step to resolve it – “The best action I can take is _____”
This process creates a moment of pause, reflection, and intentional decision-making. And often, just allowing yourself to feel and name the emotion is enough to move through it completely.
In Charles’s view—and in my lived experience—the emotion is not a problem to be managed; it’s wisdom trying to get your attention. And when you listen, everything changes.
This acronym is "chucked up," so it's great for understanding and quick reference, but you'll likely fall short for it being effective unless you dig deeper. Two opportunities for you to do that directly below.
Try It For Yourself
I’ve put together a 5-page summary workbook I’m currently using with one of my corporate clients. It gives just enough detail to walk you through the framework without overwhelming you with the theory.
Want to try it?
π Click here to access the Emotional Response-Ability ARC Worksheet
Final Thoughts
This training gave language and structure to something I’ve intuitively known but hadn’t fully mapped: Our emotions are guides, not threats, NOW with the roadmap to identify the need that is calling for attention.
And reclaiming our response-ability to them is not just personal—it’s deeply transformational for our relationships, leadership, and legacy.
Thank you to Charles for this masterful body of work.
Join the Free Workshop – Tuesday, May 27 at 3:00 p.m. CT
Charles Jones has graciously agreed to join me for a free online workshop where he’ll go deeper into the Emotional Response-Ability model and offer live coaching with a volunteer.
If you are a:
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Coach or therapist working with emotional regulation, leadership, or fulfillment
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Leader looking to respond more effectively to internal stress
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Human committed to emotional mastery and self-awareness
…this is absolutely for you.
π
Tuesday, May 27 at
π 3:00 p.m - 4:30 p.m. Central Time
ποΈ Click here to register
Written by Maurice Thibodeau
Coach with Maurice, Attend a Transformational Retreat, or Take the Life Inventory Assessment, Email - [email protected]