Reconnect Marriage Institute

Trauma compounds shame. Shame compounds trauma.

Check out a recent illustration by from a class taught by Dr. Steve Call of on the relationship between trauma and shame.

Shame feels disorienting and confusing. And one of the primary features of shame is the fear that if I share (expose) what I think and feel about myself, the other will turn away, minimize, mock, or dismiss what I am thinking and/or feeling about myself – which in turn leads to a sense of isolation and despair. We long for an “attuned” and empathic response to us when we name/share the shame we feel.