What a Legacy Award for “It’s Not Always Depression” Book Means—And Why It Matters for You
- Apr 14
- 3 min read
What if the very thing you’ve been trying to get rid of—your anxiety, your sadness, your overwhelm—is actually the path to feeling better?
I’m honored to share that my book, It’s Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect With Your Authentic Self, won the 2026 American Legacy Book Award in Health: Psychology/Mental Health
What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it’s given to books with lasting impact. I know from my work and my life that emotions education is more important than ever. It's the gift that keeps on giving. Right now, I am experiencing several core emotions: joy, excitement, and gratitude. I feel the energy and warmth of those emotions in my body. It feels good, and I wanted to share it with you.
I wrote It's Not Always Depression to offer something we were never taught—but desperately need: A clear, universal way to understand and work with our emotions. That’s what the Change Triangle is about. It is a compass for emotional health, self-awareness, healing, authentic living, and relational wellbeing.
The Change Triangle is not just a concept. It’s a map-a visual tool you can return to again and again, especially in those moments when you feel knocked out of your authentic self. Remember that the authentic self is the self when regulated: calm, connected, clear, compassionate, confident, and curious.
We all get overwhelmed. That's normal! We get reactive. That's normal! We shut down. That's normal! We spin in anxiety or get caught in shame or self-criticism. Also, normal! Or we numb out and disconnect from ourselves and others. Yes, normal.
Most people think these are problems because these states feel bad, and may cause us to lose awareness and control of what we say or do. But they’re not problems if we can use our distress as signals that something deeper is trying to be felt and processed. When we listen to our body, we set the stage for positive change.
The Change Triangle is the only tool I know that clearly shows us how to navigate this inner terrain—from the walls and protective defenses that keep us feeling alone, to anxiety and guilt, down to core emotions, and through to the calm, clarity, and connection of the open-hearted state of our authentic self.
In a moment of distress, you can pause and ask:
Where am I on the triangle?
Am I anxious? Defended?
What might I be feeling underneath?
That simple act of curiosity begins to calm the nervous system.
Over time, it does something even more powerful. It becomes a holistic pathway for healing anxiety and depression—not by suppressing symptoms, but by helping you process what your mind and body have been holding.
You build emotional strength.
You trust yourself more.
You respond instead of react.
You feel more like you.
That’s why this award matters to me.
Because it tells me this tool is reaching people—and helping them not just feel better temporarily, but in the long run. As we work the Change Triangle over our lifetime, we continue to grow and change in the direction that fosters a calm body, peace of mind, with more honest and connected relationships.
If you’re struggling right now, I want you to know this: Your emotions are not the problem. They are the path. And you don’t have to walk it blindly. With the right map, healing becomes not just possible—but practical.
With gratitude,
Hilary
