Exploring Shame

Shame is a common emotion associated with trauma, disempowerment, mental illness and exclusion. However, many of us struggle to talk about the feeling directly.

Exploring Shame is an evocative collection of 30 photo-based cards created to gently name, unpack and process feelings of shame. Each card helps participants recognise the emotion and find a pathway for healing through constructive, safe and respectful conversations.

Topics include addiction, honesty, body, culture, fairness, forgiveness, relationships and hope – providing a range of prompts that address multiple experiences.

The cards are easy to use and versatile, making them the perfect resource for counsellors, social workers, psychologists, teachers and parents engaging with adults and young people. The toolkit is suitable in one-on-one therapeutic conversations, groups and classrooms.

Exploring Shame includes a comprehensive 54 page booklet with activity and settings suggestions.

Suitable for:

• Counselling
• Social work
• Therapeutic settings
• Child and Family service settings
• Health and medical settings
• Schools
• Justice settings

“The importance of shame as a vital affect has been overlooked, understated and often avoided in counselling practice. Shame has tended to be regarded only as an impediment to be overcome. Exploring Shame offers a valuable resource that provides an opportunity to name, explore and regard shame as the necessary affect that it is. The cards provide an engaging and productive means to understand and experience shame in ways that can open to new possibilities for ethical life choices. Exploring Shame provides a useful and valuable asset for counsellors and educators.” Alan Jenkins, Counsellor