#556 Letting Go of Shame

Shame is a universal emotion that fuels fears and wreaks havoc on our
capacity to act, speak, create, or even just show up! Why is
something that’s been studied since Adam and Eve talked about so
infrequently? Some see shame as a beneficial teacher, others as a
destructive tyrant. The seventeenth century philosopher and physicist
Blaise Pascal said “The only shame is to have none.”
Shame can be insidious, resulting in destructive thoughts and
behavior before it’s realized. How can we untangle the roots of
shame and learn to control its effects?
Guests: Ronald T. Potter-Efron, M.S.W., Ph.D, and Patricia S. Potter-
Efron, M.S., clinical psychotherapists at First Things First
Counseling and Consulting in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. They are the co-
authors of Letting Go of Shame – Understanding How Shame Affects
Your Life, and The Secret Message of Shame – Pathways to Hope and
Healing. Dr. Ron Potter-Efron is also the author of Shame, Guilt and
Alcoholism – Treatment Issues in Clinical Practice.