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- Refine your understanding of the difference between shame and guilt — it’s not as simple as “Guilt is good; shame is bad.”
- Gain context for the new generation of shame research by critically reviewing work of the past 30+ years
- Receive a new roadmap for resolving problematic shame and guilt, and learn how self-compassion is key to the process
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Very helpful, informative presentation. Thank you!!
Maybe there’s a place for “Catholic guilt” after all!!
Auto correct correction: See previous comment: And what about the “second brain”, that is: the microbiome- gut- brain axis? Separating the mind from the body no longer serves us physiologically, psychologically, biologically, mentally or spiritually. Thank you.
This presentation on shame and guilt suffers from tunnel vision. The analysis appears to be derived strictly from the “thinking” brain (pre-frontal cortex) and has completely left out the somatic body. Shame is an autonomic nervous system response originating from the “reptilian” brain. The initial or original “wounding” (trauma) happens very early in life. The response is not a higher brain, conscious choice. In hunter gatherer times, shame was effective in protecting an individual from being put outside of the “group” (the community), thus ensuring their “safety”. Guilt is a different “response” in the body, and I suspect may have evolved in the limbic system as an adaptive ego response to behavior (action) that was/is not acceptable; in other words “immoral.” Furthermore, the feeling of “guilt” is most likely covering up (protecting one) from the feeling of shame. The conclusions from this kind of “top down” view of shame and guilt are so limiting in the realm of mental health modalities, that if put into clinical practice could be detrimental to a client’s healing. And what about the “second brain”, that is: the microbiome- but- brain axis? Separating the mind from the body no longer serves us physiologically, psychologically, biologically, mentally or spiritually.
Such an informative talk! Thank you so much. He clarified a lot of things for me and gave me some good strategies for addressing these issues with my clients. I appreciate your work and your style of presenting. I took a lot of screenshots of your graphs because they were so helpful. I hope that was OK. If not, please email me and I will feed them.
This session got me really thinking about shame & where it comes from.
In my experience & opinion, a lot is learned from childhood and ingrained.. Our parents tell us how to behave-
”don’t’ do that- what will people think!!?! ”,
”don’t cry, don’t be angry” etc – message: it’s wrong to have feelings!
”Why can’t you be like this one or that one- they so clever, sporty” etc –
”After all I’ve done for you, sacrificed” etc.
I could go on and on. I haven’t even touched on the Shame of being beaten, physical, emotional, sexual, psychological, mental abuse by either parents, family, others, as children- That shame scars & lasts forever and is very hard to deal with. Worse if we are told it didn’t happen, etc..
The shame of not being Seen or Heard as children- that we are less than- we don’t matter.
i was not allowed to have a voice as a child not been seen or heard and i ended having so much shame
Great presentation. I see a lot of adults who underwent severe, protracted abuse as children (mental, physical, sexual, spiritual). Part of the abuse entailed telling the children this was happening because they were bad, or being accused of seducing the husband, etc. These individuals carry a LOT of shame. Do they fit in the essentialist shame bucket? Would the interventions you suggested be as effective for this group?
You have not clearly addressed child sexual abuse/ exploitation and healing for the survivors
I now realize I feel both shame and unwarranted guilt for the same situation. I also now wonder if it’s a pattern of mine.
No soundtrack
Thanks for presentation. Guilt constructs made a lot of sense to me. By far majority of all shame presentations I see are, as you say – self-focused attention, I am bad thinking, submissive posture, hide behaviour – but this is all a protective coping response to having being subjected to interpersonal violence & abuse – I struggled to place this in the shame constructs. Still appreciate the presentation though. Thanks
Thank you for this informative presentation.
I think the consequences of shaming the transgressors are too high a price to pay for possible change in observers. Shaming the transgressor should be discouraged. We need to find other ways to stop undesirable behaviours.
thank you for the overview June. much appreciated.
I wonder if there is much research on healthy vs unhealthy guilt or is the latter really shame.
every thanks
I emphasize the difference between guilt/self blame versus responsibility/accountability (ownership). Both can produce the intention to repair, and to do better but guilt is more likely to cause both suffering and paradoxically create internal conflict, unbearable self denigration and denial/externalization and undermine future behavior not infrequently leading to more transgression.