The Journey from Shame to Self-Agency

Résumé

This keynote speech describes the significance of a relationally focused and developmentally based psychotherapy in the treatment of shame, using the author as a clinical example. Richard Erskine (1994) defines shame as a complex process involving five emotional dynamics: 1) sadness at not being accepted as I am, 2) fear of rejection for who I am, 3) compliance with how I am being defined, 4) disavowal and retroflection of anger, and 5) a core belief that something is wrong with me. Each of these components of shame are discussed and exemplified in this speech.