Embracing Shame

Why do we feel shame? Given how painful and destructive shame can be, it’s easy to see this emotion as a flaw in the human makeup that turns our own mind against us. But every aspect of our psyche has both a light and shadow side—and that includes shame. “While toxic shame can keep us stuck in a self-defeating vortex,” say Bret Lyon and Sheila Rubin, “there is a healthy expression of shame designed to protect us, help us change, and actually build our self-esteem.”

With Embracing Shame, these expert teachers share an invaluable guide to an emotion so volatile that most of us—including therapists— avoid talking about it. Here they explore the dynamics of shame, the reasons it arises, how it disguises itself as other emotions, and why it causes such harm. Through case studies, creative tools, and body-based practices, they show you how to break the cycle of toxic shame and access the messages, insights, and surprising gifts that become available as you access inner reservoirs of positive energy.