ABSTRACT
The unresolved shame of the therapist can significantly influence the process and outcome of psychotherapy as past shame is evoked not only with the client but also with the therapist, both consciously and unconsciously. This chapter deals with three of the issues involved. Firstly, just as the therapist must learn to perceive and recognize the client’s indicators of shame, he must also monitor and accurately self-identify his own experience of shame during therapy as it can interfere with his objectivity in the process of his intervention. Thus, he must be aware of his own unique physiological and psychological indicators of shame. Secondly, a cycle of shaming and re-shaming can be perpetuated in a therapeutic relationship when the early attachment experiences of the therapist were shaming and not addressed. This will leave him in a state of fear of intimacy which is re-enacted by the therapist in the therapy. Thirdly, he must be constantly aware that there are many process dynamics which can elicit shame in the therapist. This includes taking too high responsibility for the success of therapy and setting rigid adherence to what is regarded by the therapist as good ethical practice.
