In this 2024 conversation with Justine Willis Toms, David Bedrick points out that shame hides us both from others and from ourselves, and it teaches us not to trust our feelings. Bedrick suggests that, rather than using shame and guilt as a moral compass, we adopt a more effective strategy for a healthy mental and emotional life: to unhook ourselves from shame. This enables us to hear the intelligent messages from our body that allow healing to take place at a deeper, more sustainable level. Bedrick argues that traditional therapy often focuses on alleviating symptoms without addressing the root causes, whereas "unshaming" encourages deep, experiential, and ultimately healing, engagement with emotions like anxiety and anger.

David Bedrick, J.D. Dipl. PWJ.D., Dipl. PW holds a doctorate in Jurisprudence and is a Diplomate of the Process Work Institute. He founded the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-Based Studies. His work focuses on addressing shame at its root and helping people forge new and compassionate relationships with their authentic selves. He is the author of several books including:

• Talking Back to Dr. Phil: Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology (Belly Song Press 2013)
• Revisioning Activism: Bringing Depth, Dialogue, and Diversity to Individual and Social Change (Belly Song Press 2017)
• You Can't Judge a Body By Its Cover: 17 Women's Stories of Hunger, Body Shame, and Redemption (Belly Song Press 2020)
• The Unshaming Way: A 3-Part Model for Dismantling Shame (North Atlantic Books 2024)

Interview Date: 9/25/2024 Tags: David Bedrick, shame, unshaming, guilt, emotions, intelligence of the body, body language, trauma, Health & Healing, Personal Transformation, Psychology