Shame is everywhere. Shame can occur when we feel judged by others or when we judge ourselves. It can happen when we do something wrong and when we’re entirely innocent of wrongdoing. Whenever we feel bad about ourselves, for whatever reason, there is a touch of shame.

Shame is the most difficult human emotion. It prevents us from being fully ourselves and it invisibly shapes our personalities as we age.

Self-compassion is an antidote to shame. This course takes a unique, non-pathological look at shame through the eyes of self-compassion. You will learn how to loosen the grip of shame in your life using the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion.

About This Workshop

This 2-day workshop contains the highlights of the 24-hour, online, Self-Compassion for Shame (SC-Shame) course developed by Chris Germer, clinical psychologist, and a team of Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) teachers. This workshop is the first time the key elements of the course are being taught in-person.

After learning about the theory and research on shame, you’ll have an opportunity to explore the personal and cultural causes of shame in your own life. Then you’ll experience how self-compassion alleviates the impact of shame. Special topics include self-criticism, parts psychology, body shame, and self-forgiveness.

Classes are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, September 2-3, 2023 from 9:00 – 12:00 and 14:00-17:00. We will help to coordinate lunch for participants who wish to connect and enjoy the old city.

Pre-requisites

This course is open to anyone who has completed the full 24-hour MSC course or the 20-hour, live online self-compassion course. This is because participants need to have some experience touching difficult emotions with self-compassion before addressing the challenge of shame.

The instructors of this course are committed to co-creating, along with the course participants, a safe and rewarding learning experience. However, participants need to take responsibility for their own emotional wellbeing.

This course is also open to professionals, such as psychotherapists, mindfulness teachers, MSC teachers and educators, who wish to bring fresh insights and skills for working with shame to the workplace. If you are an MSC Teacher and interested in teaching the SC-Shame course, you still need to attend the full SC-Shame course as a prerequisite.