Whose Shame is it Anyway?

Abstract

Shame in the analytic system belongs neither to the patient nor to the analyst but is intersubjectively generated, maintained, exacerbated, and, we hope, mitigated, within the relational system. This shame arises partly from the treatment situation itself, but also from the lifeworlds of shame that each partner brings to the encounter. These lifeworlds variably emerge from humiliation processes or shame-and-blame systems in families, religions, cultures, and psychoanalytic institutes. Both shame awareness and an attitude of radical acceptance or profound recognition can help analysts to create a climate where self-respect can grow.