Understanding and Working with Shame: Psychotherapeutic, Cultural and Philosophical Perspectives

by Carsten René Jørgensen

Overview

This book discusses the pivotal role of shame in a wide range of mental disorders and as a driving force in societal polarization and escalating conflicts between nations and population groups.

Exploring the phenomenology of one of the most vulnerable and painful of human emotions, shame, Jørgensen dives deep into its many facets and the ways in which it manifests in mental illnesses and everyday life. Delving into an in-depth discussion of the differentiation between the moral and ethical feelings of guilt and shame, he presses the need to distinguish between constructive and destructive feelings of shame. He examines how shame permeates societal and cultural expectations, on both individual and collective levels. Solution-centric in its approach, the author not only discusses the destructive feelings of shame particularly common among individuals with more severe mental disorders, but also offers specific advice to therapists on how to deal with it.

The book will be an essential read for psychoanalysts, psychotherapists, philosophers, and anyone wanting to understand the power of shame in our lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032836027
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	11/26/2024
Pages:	318
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Carsten René Jørgensen is a professor of clinical psychology at Aarhus University, Department of Psychology, trained in group analytic psychotherapy and (since 2001) attached to the Clinic for Personality Disorders, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 2. Historical developments in our understanding of shame 3. The phenomenology of shame: How is shame experienced? 4. The basic structure of shame in relation to human sociality 5. Destructive shame and mental illness 6. Shame and contemporary culture 7. Psychotherapeutic work with destructive shame 8. Conclusion