Are you thinking about how therapy might help with your depression?  Then you’ve come to the right place.  

Therapy has become an increasingly popular and effective method of treating depression. Understanding the advantages and differences between the various therapeutic techniques will help you choose the best option.

In this article, we’ll explore my three favourite therapies for depression. They are:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT). 

I’ll discuss their effectiveness compared to antidepressant medications and delve into what may be considered the fastest way to treat depression.

By thoroughly understanding the different therapies, you or a loved one suffering from depressive symptoms can make an informed decision regarding your mental health and begin healing.

This article will explore the following:

• What is Depression?
• Benefits of Therapy for Depression
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
• Is Therapy Effective for Depression?
• Is Therapy Better Than Anti-Depressants?
• What is the Fastest Way to Treat Depression?
• FAQs concerning Therapy for Depression
  • What are the most common therapies for depression?
  • What are the most helpful strategies for coping with depression?
  • How successful is therapy for depression?
  • What is the worse thing you can do when you are depressed?
• Understand the Benefits of Therapy for Depression to choose your path to recovery.

What is Depression?

Depression, also known as major depressive disorder, is a common mental health condition affecting millions worldwide. Depression most likely results from psychosocial factors such as trauma or loss.

Many people go to therapy for depression without knowing why they feel depressed.  However, after some deeper exploration, they often discover various plausible possibilities.  For example, many clients realised their depression started following a family breakdown in their teens.  Rather than the breakdown directly causing depression, they often found themselves alone, attempting to handle their emotions independently. Naturally, they learned to withdraw, distract and bury their feelings.

What else would a young person do, especially when everyone in the family is hurting and struggling?

What about biological factors?  Do they cause depression?

However, many scientists suggest that genetic and neurological factors also contribute to the rise of depression. Evidence to support these assumptions is questionable and heavily influenced by the commercial interests of pharmaceutical companies.  

What are the symptoms of depression?

Symptoms of depression include feeling empty or numb, hopeless, physically and emotionally exhausted, disturbed sleep, and brain fog, making it difficult to make decisions. In severe cases, it can lead to suicidal thoughts or attempts.

Symptoms:

• Persistent low mood or empty feeling
• Increased Anxiety
• Thoughts of “what’s the point?”
• Self-critical thinking patterns
• Loss of interest in activities
• Trouble sleeping or oversleeping (in part due to a drop in activity)

Depression is a serious condition that requires proper treatment. Various treatment options are available if you are suffering from depression. These include:

• Treating Depression with Therapy: Therapy is an effective treatment option for depression. NHS Talking Therapy Services (IAPT) offer Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT). NICE Guidelines for the treatment of depression recommend these two approaches. CBT helps individuals identify negative thought patterns and unhelpful habits that lower mood.  You learn to lift your mood through behavioural activation and mindfulness-based cognitive therapeutic techniques. IPT focuses on improving relationships and communication skills.
• Treating Depression with Medication: Antidepressant medications [Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) / Tricyclic Antidepressants] can alleviate symptoms of major depression. However, it is not clear how they work, and evidence suggests that most of the benefits come from a placebo rather than any active ingredient in the drug itself.
• Treating Depression with Light Therapy: Light therapy involves exposure to bright light to help regulate mood and improve symptoms of depression. It is often used in conjunction with other treatments.
• Treating Depression with Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): ECT is an intrusive, risky medical treatment that passes electrical currents through your brain to produce therapeutic effects. It is typically used for severe depression or when other treatments are ineffective.
• Treating Depression with Group Therapy: Group therapy involves meeting with others experiencing depression. It can help reduce feelings of isolation and provide support.  While we don’t offer group therapy at Openforwards, you may be able to access it through the NHS. 
• Treating Depression with Herbal Remedies: Some herbal remedies, such as St. John’s Wort, have been shown to help with depression symptoms. 

It is important to note that depression is a complex condition, and what works for one person may not work for another. It is important to choose an approach that fits you and your worldview. 

Can I prevent Depression?

Reducing stress, staying active, and maintaining a healthy diet can all help to prevent depression and reduce the probability of relapse.

Here are my top three benefits of treating depression with therapy instead of medication:

• Mental health: Therapy improves mental health by targeting unhelpful thinking patterns such as rumination and self-criticism and encouraging you get more active with the values that give meaning and fulfilment to your life.
• Anxiety disorders: Many depressed people also suffer from anxiety; therapy addresses both conditions simultaneously.
• No side effects: Unlike antidepressants [selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and Tricyclic Antidepressants], which may cause libido problems or other adverse effects, therapy is a safe alternative without physical risks.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is widely available in Birmingham and throughout the UK because it is an effective treatment for depression. It focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns, which can contribute to feelings of depression. CBT helps you develop healthier coping mechanisms and improve your overall mental health by addressing these thoughts.

During a typical CBT session, the therapist works with you to identify specific thoughts or beliefs that may be causing distress. They then explore alternative perspectives and challenge unhelpful thinking patterns through challenging negative automatic thoughts or behavioural experiments.

Not only does CBT deliver positive results in treating major depression, it often reduces stress levels, and prevents it from re-occurring in the future. 

CBT is one of the most effective treatments for depression and is often used with other treatment options, such as medication.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another effective approach for managing depressive symptoms. ACT focuses on helping people carry their thoughts and feelings rather than trying to change or suppress them. This approach promotes taking action based on one’s values, regardless of emotions such as fear, sadness or anger.

In one study, depressed patients who underwent ACT experienced significant improvements in their mood compared to those receiving traditional cognitive behavioural therapy. By fostering psychological flexibility, ACT can help reduce stress and prevent depression from worsening.

Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)

CFT is an approach that uses elements of cognitive-behavioural therapy, evolutionary psychology, and Buddhist practices to foster self-compassion and understanding to address the psychosocial causes of depression. CFT combines these practices to address the psychosocial causes of depression, such as trauma or negative thought patterns. By developing a kinder attitude towards themselves, individuals with depression often cultivate better mood and overall mental health.  Here are a few benefits of a compassion-focused approach to treating depression:

• Fosters self-compassion: CFT encourages individuals to be more understanding and forgiving of themselves.
• Addresses underlying issues: CFT helps identify and tackle the root causes of depression.
• Promotes emotional resilience: CFT builds skills for coping with difficult emotions in a healthier way.

Is Therapy Effective for Depression?

Evidence has consistently indicated that therapy is effective in treating depression. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) have all demonstrated they can significantly help alleviate depression. A comprehensive analysis of these therapies revealed noteworthy improvements in irritability, stress, and decreased suicidal urges among members.

Group therapy, effective in treating major depressive disorder and other anxiety disorders, can supplement individual sessions for improved therapeutic outcomes. Overall, the therapeutic effect of these treatment options is well-supported by evidence.  Again, you must contact your GP to access group therapy for depression.

Is Therapy Better Than Anti-Depressants?

Both therapy and anti-depressants can be viable options for treating depression, though you may prefer to pursue one option over the other. Many people prefer a non-pharmacological approach like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, while others find relief through antidepressant medications.

A study analysis has demonstrated that when both treatment methods are combined, greater progress in depressive indicators can be observed compared to either approach alone. 

What is the Fastest Way to Treat Depression?

Discovering the most helpful activities to manage depression is a personal process. For example, people I’ve worked with in therapy report gains from different strategies. Some prefer getting active, while others prefer self-compassionate exercises. Common helpful strategies include:

• Regular exercise
• Improving sleep hygiene
• Eating a balanced diet
• Social support: Connecting with friends and family or joining a support group.
• Engaging in hobbies and interests that bring joy and reduce stress.

FAQs concerning Therapy for Depression

What are the most common therapies for depression?

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most common therapy for depression. It focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns, behaviours, and emotional responses to improve mental health. Other therapies include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT). Learn more about CBT.

What are the most helpful strategies for coping with depression?

Three effective strategies for coping with depression include: 

1. Engaging in regular physical activity, which can boost mood.
2. Practising mindfulness meditation helps reduce stress and increase self-awareness.
3. Maintaining a strong support network of friends, family or professional therapists. Find more self-care tips here.

How successful is therapy for depression?

The success rate of therapy varies depending on individual factors such as the severity of symptoms, type of treatment received, therapist’s expertise, etc.  In my experience, people recover or transform their lives when they do the work in therapy and outside sessions.  Unhelpful patterns maintain depression, so you must learn to build new routines and ways of relating to your experiences.  

Studies have shown that around 50%-60% of people experience significant improvement after receiving evidence-based psychotherapy like CBT or ACT. Read more about psychotherapy’s effectiveness.

What is the worst thing you can do when you are depressed?

A common unhealthy coping mechanism among individuals with depression is withdrawal from social activities or isolating oneself. This often makes depressive symptoms worse. Recognising and replacing these understandable yet unhelpful coping strategies with healthier ones, such as seeking support from loved ones or engaging in self-care activities, is essential. Discover more about healthy coping mechanisms here.

Understand the Benefits of Therapy for Depression to choose your path to recovery.

Depression is a common mental health condition that can significantly impact your life. Therapy is effective in managing depressive symptoms and improving overall well-being. CBT, ACT and CFT – all supported by research – can help those going through depression.

While therapy may not be the quickest way to treat depression, it offers long-term benefits by addressing underlying issues and teaching coping skills. Additionally, therapy does not come with the potential side effects of medication.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, consider reaching out to us at Openforwards. Our team of experienced therapists can provide support and guidance towards healing.

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How can I control my depression and anxiety?

Dennis felt desperate. He couldn’t believe what had happened in the last 12 months. He’d gone from being on top of his game to struggling to leave the house. What had gone wrong?

A visit to the GP and the realisation hit him square in the face. The D-word! “How did that happen?” he thought to himself. “It can’t be true”.

Nobody, of course, wants to be told: “you’re suffering from depression”.

“I’ll sign you off work for a month. I’d like to start you on a course of anti-depressants.”

“F**k!”

It would be great to have a crystal ball. To see your future. To have the clarity, hope and determination to turn things around. But we don’t. Instead, like Dennis, we sit in the doctor’s room staring at the floor, terrified of telling our loved ones. Wondering, “what will happen to me now?”

Pain is Inevitable

Suffering and pain are different. Pain is fear, hurt, anger, shame and sadness.

Suffering is anxiety. Suffering is depression and addiction, trauma, chronic stress and suicidal urges.

What’s the difference?

The pain is clean. Suffering is dirty. Pain is inevitable. Suffering can be avoided, prevented, side-stepped or recovered from. Pain cannot.

Pain comes first. And it shows up most days. Even if you don’t see it or feel it with awareness. If you slow down to watch your emotions, then you’ll notice them. Like if you lay down on the grass and look up at the sky, you’ll notice the clouds passing over your head. They’re always there. You might not see them.

Why do you suffer?

Suffering happens when you spend too much time trying to control your pain. It is what happens when you try to make your pain go away.

Suffering is what happens when you spend your time distracting, seeking reassurance, avoiding, putting on a front, giving up, keeping busy, obsessing, worrying, relying on others, never relying on others, putting off, evoking sympathy, self-pity, intellectualising, rationalising, making a joke of it, self-criticising, blaming others, taking medication, drinking, exercising, going to the doctor, looking up symptoms on the internet, withdrawing, staying isolated, staying seated, never sitting down, carrying rescue remedies, going to the toilet, making yourself sick, taking risks, placing yourself in danger, sex with strangers, masturbating, over-eating, starvation, staying single and never being alone.

It’s a long list, and I could keep going. They are natural ways of coping with pain. They’re attempts to control your pain and to make it go away.

Control isn’t bad

These coping strategies aren’t bad by nature. Sometimes, they’re helpful. And, sometimes, they’re not. So, how do you tell the difference?

You need to understand the action within its context. You need to know its intention. For example, taking medication can be helpful. It can make you well. It can help you function and prevent things from getting worse. And it can do the opposite. It can cause side effects, damage your body and create further despair.

Control is terrible when it makes your life worse. Control is inadequate when you spend so much time, energy and effort trying to push away the pain you neglect those you love and care about. It’s bad when you lose sight of what’s most important. It’s terrible when you slowly self-destruct instead of giving yourself the nurturance you need to thrive.

Control is human

The urge to control is vital. It’s natural. It’s how the mind has evolved. Just like pain, control is inevitable. But, it isn’t a losing battle. It doesn’t need to be a battle at all.

Your mind, just like mine, sees and feels the pain. It judges “I’m losing control” or “I can’t control my thoughts or emotions.” In response, your mind determines that the solution is to find more control, get better at it and put more time and effort into it. It’s logical to search for more control.

As a result, your attempts to control the fear, the sadness and the hurt increase. The control becomes excessive and prolongs the pain. It creates additional suffering and worsens over time, creating recurring problems with anxiety and depression.

So, if control is the problem, not the solution, then what is the solution?

A Solution that works

Psychology has been investigating the solutions to emotional suffering for decades. There are now many different psychological therapies on offer. Choosing or knowing what will work best for you can feel impossible.

Many therapies overlap. They use different languages to describe the same or similar concepts. Some focus on the past, and others on the here and now. Some focus on techniques, and others focus on the therapist-client relationship. Even psychologists don’t seem to agree on what works best as professionals probably tend to overstate the benefits of their approach and undervalue those of others. None of that helps for precise, immediate guidance.

What do I think is the solution?

I’m going to keep it simple. I’m going to give you a brief description. It’s the best way I can capture what psychology tells us works. Ultimately, I will describe what helps people reduce anxiety, lift their mood and reduce depression. I will describe what helps to end addiction and move on from trauma. I will describe what helps a person learn to trust again, manage stress and dissolve urges to kill themselves. It’s what I call the brave and gentle approach to self-care.

A Brave and Gentle Approach to Self-care

Why be brave?

You know what it is to be brave. It’s not being fearless. It is doing what matters, even when you feel scared. It’s doing what matters, even when you don’t see the point. It’s taking steps outside of your comfort zone so you can learn, grow and discover through your own direct experiences. It is doing that stuff even though your mind tells you not to. It’s doing that even though your entire body resists and wants to lie down.

Why? Because if you don’t, then you risk shrinking into nothingness. You can’t stand still. You can only go forwards or backwards.

Why be gentle?

To be gentle is not to be harsh. It is not criticising, blaming or dismissing your pain. This doesn’t motivate people. It does the opposite. It chips away and puts holes in you. You don’t want too many holes, or they’ll be nothing left. Just like any living organism or inanimate possession, you need maintenance. You need care. And care works best when it is gentle.

Bravery is necessary to turn a life around, especially when suffering gets the better of you. It’s your friend, your coach and your mentor. And you’ll be more likely to succeed, improve and master the performance of your mind if you include another friend in your circle.

Gentleness is kindness. Its warmth and sensitivity. Gentleness is taking it slow. It is seeing it from different points of view. Its showing understanding in the face of criticism, blame and judgement.

Keep these friends in your corner.

Be friends for life. When you’re next struggling, or if you’re struggling right now, ask yourself this: when did I last see my friends – gentleness and bravery? Have I spoken with them recently? Why haven’t I sought them out to spend time with them?

Have these friends in your circle and keep them in your corner. No one does well on their own. Use these friends…as well as other people. Stay connected and be generous. There is so much to gain when you do.

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I wish this was a simple question to answer. What makes it difficult is the endless misinformation and controversy.

But, it is an important question I will do my best to answer.

On the surface, it seems relatively straightforward…” does medication help with depression?”

The pharmaceutical industry would have you believe that anti-depressants work. Many Doctors believe anti-depressants help with depression. So much so that in 2012, the NHS issued 50 million prescriptions for anti-depressant medications. This costs the British taxpayer around £784,000 every day.

And, to put it simply, yes, they can help a little.  But not for the reasons you might think.  Anti-depressants only help because of something called the placebo effect.

And in reality,

between ’85 to 90% of people being prescribed anti-depressants are not getting any clinically meaningful benefit from the drug itself’ (Kirsch, I. 2008)

So, what is the placebo effect?

A Placebo is a fake pill. Research trials use a placebo to test whether drugs improve or improve problems.

What happens is you get two groups of people. One group will take the anti-depressant, and the other will take the placebo – a sugar pill. Only those in the group won’t know what they are taking.

Global media picked up Kirsch’s findings, and he was criticised greatly. But, the criticisms didn’t stand up. His findings were backed up by another leading Psychiatrist, Professor Walter Brown. (Davies, J. (2013).

We found the same thing as Kirsch…for mildly and moderately depressed patients, our results confirm that anti-depressants offer no advantage over placebos, alternative therapies, or even moderate exercise.”

Professor Walter Brown

So, if they don’t work, why are we led to believe they do?

As Dr James Davies argues in his book Cracked: Why Psychiatry is doing more harm than good, there are two main reasons.

1. Psychiatry is dominated by a bio-medical model that suggests emotional pain is a disease.
2. Pharmaceutical companies have exploited the opportunity to make billions of pounds worldwide.

Let’s take the first of these reasons, the bio-medical model in psychiatry.

The bio-medical model claims that people get depressed, anxious, addicted, have hallucinations, self-harm and commit suicide because of a chemical imbalance in the brain that is not normal. The trouble is that this belief isn’t based on scientific data.

How psychiatrists tend to make a diagnosis

Psychiatrists make a diagnosis using a guidebook called DSM.  Since its first edition in 1952, there have now been five revisions. The most recent was in 2013. And the number of possible things you could have wrong with you has dramatically increased.

And the way most psychiatrists use this book is to match a person’s reported experience with the list of diagnoses laid out in the DSM. It is down to the Psychiatrist to diagnose accurately. The trouble is that psychiatrists tend to give different diagnoses to the same person at least 1/3 of the time.  So, it is subjective and highly inconsistent (Rosenhan, D L, 1975).

The other important point is that, unlike any other form of medicine, there are no biological markers to prove the existence of mental health problems. You can’t do a blood or urine test to prove depression or anxiety disorders exist.

Pharmaceuticals also claim anti-depressants work because they re-balance neurotransmitter brain chemicals like serotonin and epinephrine. This is how they say SSRI antidepressant medication alleviates depression. And again, there is no evidence that people suffering from depression have an imbalance in these neurotransmitters.  What’s more, is that there are no guidelines defining optimum balance.

Shocked?  I certainly was.  The sum of it is that there is just no evidence to prove that emotional pain is any way, shape, or form of a medical problem. And there is no evidence that depression is a problem that requires medication as an intervention.

The financial stronghold of the Pharmaceutical Industry

The second reason so many doctors believe medication works is that they are told so by the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical companies fund nearly all medical trials investigating the effects of anti-depressant medication.  And these companies have a vested interest in showing they work.

Not only does this lead you to question their motives, but numerous pharmaceutical companies have also been fined billions for concealing data that shows they don’t work well.

But the problem also rests with the authorities that approve medications to be sold. The FDA in the US and the MHRA in the UK require a drug company to show in just two clinical trials that their antidepressant is more effective than a placebo. If this can be shown, no matter how many negative studies there have been, the drug will be approved for public use (Davies, 2013).

Davies also points out the trial doesn’t even have to show that the drug is clinically superior. It merely needs to show a statistical difference, which can be small enough to make no difference to the person’s life.

Conflicts of Interest

You might think that one form of protection against the commercial interest of pharmaceutical companies would be the psychiatric profession.  But, as Davies shows us, Psychiatrists and GPs routinely receive financial incentives from pharmaceutical companies to sway their prescribing habits. And what’s more, doctors have no legal requirement to declare any additional earnings they receive from Big Pharma.

Given the findings that antidepressants are no better than a sugar pill and that Big Pharma has shown dishonesty in effectiveness studies, it is wise to be suspicious of their claims.

The position of this article is clear – BEWARE!

This is somewhat different from the position I used to take when asked this question by clients in the therapy room. Previously my response looked like I am not an expert in that area, so it is best to discuss that with your GP.  This seemed an appropriately neutral position to take.

But, more recently, I feel duty-bound to present the evidence after learning much more about the lack of proven scientific basis in the bio-medical model and the dubious behaviour of pharmaceuticals.

You may argue that this is not neutral to do so. But, I would argue that by not doing so, I am allowing a person to continue under the impression that depression is a mental illness with proven biological markers for which antidepressant medication offers a ‘cure’.  This information presented by the mainstream is just not accurate.

The NHS UK website states that “most people benefit from taking antidepressants to some degree.” When the data doesn’t back this up.

What should you do instead?

If you are struggling with low mood and debilitating anxiety, the first thing to do is check in with how well you are taking care of yourself.

• Are you eating well every day?
• Are you getting some exercise and staying active?
• Are you talking to people, connecting with them and letting others know you are struggling?
• Are you listening to your body and responding to what it needs, e.g. rest, water or gentle movement?

These basic ways of caring for yourself often get abandoned when you suffer. But, it doesn’t work to avoid self-care. And it doesn’t work to avoid people even when this feels difficult.

The next step is to focus on what is happening in your life. Your context heavily influences the way you feel.

• What stresses and strains are you under?
• Is there a problem in your relationship?
• Have you lost someone or something important?
• Are you concerned for your children’s health or well-being?
• Are you fighting to forget painful memories?

When you look at what is happening in your life, you can start to understand you have valid reasons for feeling like you do. Context is everything.

And finally, you may want to seek professional intervention from a suitably qualified and accredited counsellor or psychotherapist. Whilst therapy is not the perfect solution, i.e. not everyone benefits from therapy, many people do.

What should you do if you are already taking anti-depressants?

One final question I want to address is, “What should you do if you are already taking anti-depressants?”  After reading this article, I appreciate that you may wish to stop taking them. My advice is to be cautious and to take it slow. You can experience side effects if you suddenly stop taking them. These might include high anxiety, dizziness, headaches and feeling sick.

If you decide you want to come off them, then discussing this with your prescriber and working out a reduction plan is sensible. This will probably involve gradually reducing your dose over several weeks.

Another thing to consider is whether you will need any other support when you come off them. Anti-depressants have been shown to have a numbing effect. So, when you stop taking them, you may experience emotions that the anti-depressant has cut you off when you’ve taken it.

It would be wise to consider whether you are ready for this. Feelings aren’t dangerous, but they can be painful. You may need to ensure you are taking care of yourself and you have a support network around you. In addition, if you would benefit from exploring events from your past, talking to a counsellor is also likely to be a valuable form of support.

I thank Dr James Davies for his research and everyone who agreed to be interviewed. This has contributed to helping many people understand the science of mental health. I also wish to thank Dr Nic Hooper, whose writing has inspired my exploration of the medicalisation of human suffering.

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How to stop feeling shame

Shame is a powerful emotion that causes a lot of pain. Like all emotions, it has evolved for a purpose and understanding what it is for can help you deal with it more effectively. 

In this week’s round-up, I’m sharing some of the most valuable resources I’ve discovered on the subject of shame. I hope that you can use them to help with some of the challenges that you experience in your life.

Shame can hide away

Shame isn’t always easy to recognise. Other emotions can mask it. Filled with anxiety and worry, fears of the worst dominate your thoughts. When you peel back the layers, you find a fear of failure. To experience it is to experience shame.

Anger can mask the feeling of shame too. We can rush to defensive aggression or criticism of others’ behaviour, all in the service of avoiding embarrassment. Given that shame feels so bad, what the blinking-heck is it for?

What is shame for?

Know one likes to talk about their shame; not me and not you. It hurts, right? It also makes us feel naked and vulnerable. Naturally, we tend to hide our shame. We bury it and withdraw into a busy mind of self-criticism and contemptuous chatter. 

These isolating responses serve to protect you. If other people’s aggression shames you, then this withdrawal is an attempt to distance yourself from that hurt. If your mind shames you, it’s a sign that you’ve not met your expectations or rules about what is moral. Similarly, the urge to withdraw serves to protect you from social exclusion. Stay away, and you can’t hurt them any longer. However, departing from your shame and others does almost nothing to teach you how to improve it. 

How do you deal with shame?

Like other emotions, shame has evolved in helpful and unhelpful ways. Thankfully, the wisdom of spirituality and psychological scientific discoveries provide us with more powerful choices. 

The most potent response to shame that I’ve observed is self-compassion. It is why many of the resources you’ll read about or listen to dig deeper into self-compassion. You’ll learn about what it is, how it helps and how to do it. If you aren’t sure where to start, take the self-compassion test. You might be surprised to learn what self-compassion is and what it is not.

How to deal with Shame Resources

Brene Brown’s books. Brene has become a mini-celebrity, and it’s hard not to like her. She is funny and wholehearted while sharing her research into the experience of shame. Check out her books. ‘The gifts of imperfection’ is a wise place to start.

Self-Compassion Test – Kristin Neff is another foremost researcher on shame. Take her self-compassion test and discover your levels of self-compassionate behaviour.

Unshame. It is a powerful account of Carolyn Spring’s journey through therapy. Having suffered horrendous abuse as a child, Carolyn has transformed her life into an extraordinary writer and teacher of the human spirit. 

How to be less self-critical using mindfulness and self-compassion. A podcast interview with the down-to-earth psychologist and one of the founders of the Compassionate Mind Foundation, Dr Mary Welford.

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