- The difference between guilt, shame and core shame
- Shame and attachment
- Ruptured interpersonal bridges
- The evolution of social-emotional development
- Why self-compassion is so hard to access
Polyvagal Theory, Shame and the Shutdown Response
- Shame and the Vagus Nerve
- Neuroception, shame and felt safety
- Core shame and implicit memory
- Three common responses to shame
- How addressing shame expedites treatment
- Why shame goes undetected by clinicians
- Multicultural perspectives
- Perfectionism, rage, blame and other defenses against shame
- Reading the body - non-verbal signs of shame
- Interview questions for assessing shame in relationships and current patterns
- Self-assessment: identify your own shame
- Mirror neurons and relational presence
- Attunement as the key to therapeutic change
- Large Empathy and being vulnerable
- Avoid stigmatizing language in therapy
- Co-regulating safety and equal power in the therapeutic relationship
Re-Write the Story of Shame into “I Am Enough”:
Clinical Strategies to Cultivate Secure Attachment and Self-Compassion
- Somatic approaches to cultivate secure attachment
- Self-compassion and gratitude exercises
- The four therapeutic “R”s: Recognize, Respect, Regulate and Re-Story
- Four “C” shovels to calm nervous system and self-regulate shame response
- Exercises to strengthen connections
- Creative arts, music and poetry – increase neuroplasticity
- Playfulness, humor and being in nature can rewire the brain
- Mindfulness and meditations for non-judgmental awareness of shame
- Narratives and visualizations to re-write clients stories to safety and being enough
- Research, limitations and potential risks
Connect Shame-Informed Clinical Strategies to the Treatment of:
Anger and Rage
- Shame of fear: Shame as a cover for anger
- Self-acceptance techniques for internal damage control
- Compassion and forgiveness exercises to let go of anger
Trauma
- Somatic interventions
- Strategies to survive without guilt
- Exercises to rediscover self-worth
Stress and Anxiety
- Mediate the paralysis of perfection with self-acceptance
- Social anxiety as shame & self-doubt
- Mindfulness-based, non-anxious self-consciousness
Eating Disorders
- How shame pushes clients into binge eating
- Choice Awareness Training for moderation & presence
- Self-acceptance strategies for emotional eating
Substance Abuse and Addiction
- Addressing the shame of relapse
- Self-assertive trigger avoidance
- Choice awareness techniques for habit modification
- Build craving/impulse control skill power
Depression, Self-Harm & Suicidality
- Recognize how internalized shame can deepen depression
- Developing healthy coping strategies for uncomfortable feelings
- Demystifying shame responses and returning them to their origin
