Working Therapeutically with Shame
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Authors
Riedlinger, Erika
Issue Date
2022-11-14
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
shame , compassion-focused therapy , mental health
Alternative Title
Abstract
Shame is an intensely painful human emotion that evolved to reduce social transgressions and promote interpersonal connection. When shame becomes chronic or begins to colour one's lived experiences, it is associated with the development and maintenance of a wide range of mental health concerns. The current research paper intends to demonstrate the importance of working with shame in a therapeutic setting and best practices for doing so. This is aimed at expanding the current understanding of how shame affects individuals and society, why we experience shame, and how shame can be recognized from shame coping strategies, as it pertains to working with clients. Two therapeutic modalities that were designed to specifically address shame, Compassion-focused therapy and shame resilience theory, are reviewed, and synthesized. Research on these areas is compiled to create a resource that can be utilized by therapists when working with individuals who are experiencing high amounts of shame.