Book excerpt: “In this astute work, David Bedrick provides a deep investigation of shame, the most debilitating of our mind states, and offers a workable, practice-based, and accessible path to divesting ourselves from it.” —Gabor Maté, MD, New York Times best-selling author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts An empowering, stigma-free approach to dismantling shame—a trauma-informed guide to restoring our authentic self Shame affects us all…often in ways we might not expect. Author, mental health expert, and professor David Bedrick helps us understand how shame shows up—and offers a revolutionary, stigma-free model to help us unshame and release its hold on our happiness. Shame is more than feeling guilty, sad, or responsible. It develops when we experience a trauma but can’t access the tools or freedom to express how we feel—or are denied the ability to ask for the care we need. It shows up when we aren’t witnessed—whether by a loved one, our community, our culture, or anyone from whom we need to hear: whatever happened to you, these parts of you that you think are unlovable or wrong—you’re not broken. I see you. Bedrick helps readers bring shame out of the shadows, inviting us to get to know it and listen to its wisdom without minimizing our traumas or pathologizing our experiences. He helps us move from seeing shame as a feeling toward holding it as an internal viewpoint—and offers us practical tools and exercises to dismantle the narratives that hold us back from living our lives whole, free, and in alignment with our most authentic selves.