Abstract

This three-hour webinar will introduce attendees to understanding how shame and pride play a central role in psychotherapy generally, and more specifically with survivors of survivors of relational trauma (RT).  We begin by defining our terms, i.e., relational trauma, shame, and pride.  Next, we turn to descriptions of adaptive and maladaptive shame and pride subtypes, paying attention to the difference between shame and pride as emotional processes (“emotions”), and as traumatic mind/body states (“shame states” and “pride states”).  A brief description of why shame and pride are important in psychotherapy with RT survivors, follows.  An introductory exploration is offered into the dynamic relationship between embodied shame states and disembodied dissociative processes, that include mind/body leave taking (LT) or “detachment”, and “structural dissociation” (SD), and some clinical implications.  The last hour of this webinar will be devoted to a presentation of several psychotherapy sessions with “Isaac”, a RT survivor, using verbatim transcripts to document his movement from shame states, to adaptive pride, and finally pro-being pride.  The concept and lived experience of pro-being pride, defined as taking delight in one’s unique ways of being in relationship with oneself, others, and the world, will be illustrated both conceptually (when outlining shame and pride subtypes) and clinically, in the psychotherapy session transcripts.  There will be opportunities for questions and answers throughout this webinar, enabling attendees to consider how these understandings can be applied to their psychotherapy with relational trauma survivors.