Catherine O'Riordan

My approach crafting this workshop:

People often feel shame when they unexpectedly meet indifference, disapproval, or criticism. I call this a shame slap. According to Kelly and Lamia 2018 ‘Shame is wired into our human brain as a program that reacts immediately when the positive affects – things we are enjoying and want more of – are interfered with by something or someone’. For example, you might find yourself enthusiastically telling someone something only to find them indifferent or critical and the feeling of shame may hit you. When we experience a shame slap, we might react with anger whilst others end up withdrawing and swallowing the situation and the experience whole. This can set up a shame association and the next time they feel enthusiastic they dial their feelings down, keeping their enthusiasm under wrap. In this way we can see how shame seeks to safe-guard the authentic self from knock-backs. Over time the individual's shame landscape can become restrictive and hyper-reactive. The feeling of shame can develop into a core self experience and underpin many other problems in relating to self and others.

Drawing on my personal and clinical experience, as well as theories from Tomkins, Kaufman and Gestalt, I facilitate participants into understanding the complex dynamics of shame and through case study examples explore treatment approaches and interventions.