Description
Understanding and Treating Chronic Shame
Book Summary
This work offers a comprehensive clinical study of shame, dissociation, and complex relational trauma, a subject often silenced in the therapy room. Patricia DeYoung presents a theoretical and practical framework for identifying and treating patterns of chronic shame, including its deepest and quietest manifestations. The book analyzes different types of shame, from ethical to stigmatizing, and addresses its relationship with systemic racism. It is essential reading for psychotherapy professionals seeking tools to work with clients who carry long-standing relational wounds.
What is it about?
Most patients speak openly about their anxiety or depression, but they rarely identify shame as a core issue. This book delves into that hidden experience, especially for those with a history of relational trauma. DeYoung distinguishes between different forms of shame—ethical, chronic, stigmatizing—and explores how they manifest in daily life and in the therapeutic relationship. The author also examines the denied shame that underlies systemic racism, broadening the clinical gaze toward social dynamics. With a compassionate and rigorous approach, the work provides keys for therapists to help their clients recognize, understand, and transform these deeply rooted patterns.
Main Topics
- Chronic shame and its origins in complex relational trauma.
- Dissociation as a defense mechanism linked to shame.
- Differentiation between ethical, chronic, and stigmatizing shame.
- Impact of systemic racism on the experience of shame.
- Clinical strategies for the treatment of ingrained shame patterns.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at psychotherapists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, and advanced psychology students working with patients with relational trauma, dissociative disorders, or deeply rooted self-esteem issues. It is also of interest to mental health professionals who wish to broaden their understanding of shame as a fundamental clinical dimension, which is often underdiagnosed.
What this book offers
- An updated clinical framework for identifying and treating chronic shame in therapeutic practice.
- Tools for working with dissociation and complex relational trauma from an integrative perspective.
- A critical look at how systemic racism perpetuates patterns of shame in social and family contexts.
- Compassionate and effective strategies to help patients transform their relationship with shame.
Technical Data
- Author: Patricia DeYoung
- Publisher: Editorial Eleftheria SL
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Psychotherapy
- Collection: Eleftheria
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication Date: February 2024
- Number of pages: 450
- Weight: 1267 g
Editorial Assessment
This first Spanish edition of Patricia DeYoung's work, updated from the English version, is presented as an essential resource for any professional who wishes to address chronic shame with rigor and sensitivity. Its integrative approach, which combines clinical theory, social analysis, and practical tools, makes it valuable reading for both therapists in training and experienced clinicians. It is a book that invites one to look beyond surface symptoms and work with the deepest layers of relational suffering.