Gerald Loren Fishkin, PhD, is a clinical psychologist. He is author of The Science of Shame and Its Treatment. He is also author of American Dream, American Burnout; Police Burnout: Signs, Symptoms, and Solutions; and Firefighter and Paramedic Burnout: The Survival Guide.
Here he notes that shame is a deep-seated affect that is located deep within the mammalian portions of the brain. He makes a point of distinguishing between shame and guilt, insofar as toxic shame can be completely crippling at an emotional level. It is typically the result of early childhood trauma. Toxic shame also results in abusive and unrelenting forms of self-talk. Fishkin maintains that neither positive affirmations nor cognitive behavioral therapy are adequate for dealing with toxic shame. However, he offers a compassionate approach with a variety of processes that have shown themselves to be effective.
(Recorded on July 10, 2016)
Published on September 16, 2022