I highly recommend for all humans curious about this experience we call shame.

A incredibly comprehensive, yet not overwhelming resource on what is shame, how does it behave as an emotion, how does it show up in our lives across the lifespan and how can we transform it. Basically, how can we let our shame be a guide, rather than painfully rule our lives!? I can attest to the power of Bret and Sheila's work in my personal journey of healing from toxic, pervasive shame and I feel that it can truly change the world one drip of healing at a time.

This book provides a compelling account of shame, the most neglected emotion, its adverse impact on mental health, as well as ways of overcoming shame to lead a fuller, happier life. Bret Lyon and Sheila Rubin have devoted their careers to helping clients heal from shame and educating therapists and other healing practitioners to do the same. Having attended one of their workshops, I have direct experience of their wisdom, warmth, and skill as master therapists and teachers. They have distilled the essence of their life's work, with grace, clarity, and compassion into a readable and helpful book, that's both a theoretical overview and treatment manual. The practice exercises at the end of each chapter are alone worth the price of admission. The book will be of immense value to anyone dealing with the negative effects of shame in themselves or their clients.

Bret and Sheila have crafted an extraordinary masterpiece. There is truly nothing like it available in the realm of understanding and addressing shame. Their comprehensive exploration of how shame manifests and their practical guidance on working with it sets this book apart. It offers a highly specific and actionable approach to reshaping the paradigm surrounding shame. This isn't just about understanding shame; it's about effecting real change.

My personal experience studying with them has been nothing short of life-altering, and it has significantly transformed my professional practice. Those of us who have eagerly awaited this book can attest that the wait has been more than worthwhile.

What's even more remarkable is that this book now grants the general public access to comprehending the profound impact of shame on our lives and how it can be both a limitation and a catalyst for transformation.

Bret and Sheila possess a gift for explaining difficult or complicated topics with ease and compassion. Their book illuminates and artfully dissects shame, the missing piece in most healing processes that most therapists and healers tend to avoid unless they've had the privilege of studying with Bret and Sheila.

Thank you for penning this book and making your invaluable insights accessible to everyone. Your contributions are reshaping the landscape of therapy and healing, and I am immensely thankful for your gifts.

This book is a user-friendly resource for exploring and embracing / healing shame .

- The stories are helpful for understanding the different ways that shame operates in ourselves (and in the lives of the people we love, work with and encounter).

- The exercises offer support in gaining personal insight.

I would recommend this individuals, coaches, clinicians, leaders.

When a dear friend of mine introduced me to Bret and Sheila and their vital work on healing shame, it was the most important piece of my own healing work that was missing. As a therapist, I have dedicated years towards my own healing work which I believe is vital in offering support to others. Shame was the missing piece, at the center of childhood trauma. Shame is like a big secret and the more I hid it from myself and from others, the bigger and more painful it grew. It is the thing that no one talks about but it’s everywhere, hidden in plain sight, like dark matter.

With tremendous courage, Bret and Shiela cast a light on this amorphous thing that we all hide in, and in this light, we can begin to see, to name, to give back, to counter, and to embrace the shame that resides in so many of us struggling. Their book also shines a beautiful light on our most important relationship we can ever develop, our relationship with our inner child and how to heal the shame that our inner children carry. A book that masterfully combines vital inner child work and shame work is truly a unique gem.

I am forever grateful for Bret and Sheila and for their sincere dedication to help people heal from shame. Thank you Sheila and Bret, for this beautiful book that you gifted us, a light which will continue to shine bright!