The Conversational Model approach to guilt and shame associated with trauma.
Shame and guilt are expressions of a Self, seriously wounded, in a relational context. Guilt is more overt, whereas shame, a complex affect, presents a threat of personal annihilation, is sequestered non-consciously, blocking expression of affect and creating considerable difficulty for the individual.
Trauma has primary effects on the psychological sense of Self, on the systems of attachment and meaning that link individuals and communities. It destroys fundamental assumptions of safety. Trauma calls into question basic human relationships; it breaches attachment and undermines the belief system that gives meaning to human experiences. Displacement, dispossession, betrayal, violence, insecurity and helplessness are shameprovoking experiences, where guilt of varying proportions is part of the experience of some individuals.
What makes you infer that shame is in existence? What do you do once you have reached that inference? What can you infer about the dynamics once you detect shame? How do you respond to guilt which is openly expressed and deeply and inappropriately felt? How can you use this understanding of shame and guilt in the therapeutic relationship?
In this presentation Dr Halliburn will combine the theory of shame and guilt associated with trauma and practice. It will give the audience a clearer understanding of the role of shame and guilt in the production of symptoms and clarify a therapeutic approach to these affects using the Conversational Model.
