Discover a proven pathway for transforming shame from a self-punishing emotion into a powerful ally for your health and happiness. Why do we feel shame? Given how painful and destructive shame can be, it’s easy to see this emotion as an inner demon that turns our own mind against us. Yet shame is a universal emotion—and it serves an important purpose. “While toxic shame can keep us stuck in a self-defeating vortex,” say Bret Lyon and Sheila Rubin, “there is a healthy expression of shame designed to protect us, help us change, and actually build our self-esteem.” With Embracing Shame, these expert teachers share an invaluable guide to an emotion so volatile that most of us—including therapists—avoid talking about it. Here this husband and wife team, cofounders of the Center for Healing Shame, examine the dynamics of shame, the reasons it arises, why it causes such harm, and how we can heal its negative effects. Through case studies, creative tools, and body-based practices, they invite you to explore: • The purpose of shame—How it is meant to protect and guide us, and why it gets distorted into a self-sabotaging emotion • How shame disguises itself by “binding” to other emotions—and methods for disentangling these complex feelings • The ways shame forms in childhood, evolves as we grow, is impacted by trauma, and takes residence in the body • Practical guidance for regulating common shame-based challenges—including the inner critic, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, intimacy in relationships, and much more While no amount of self-talk, personal success, or therapy can eradicate shame, we can transform shame into the supportive, health-promoting force it was meant to be. Created as a go-to resource for laypersons and healing professionals alike, Embracing Shame offers an achievable path for reclaiming the true potential of this vital emotion to help us grow, connect, and find a new confidence in the way we move through life.

A bad boy mechanic and a kinky accountant: can an indecent proposal lead to love? Though Forrest Patton looks like a tweedy, uptight accountant, he's anything but. Underneath the fussy bow ties and love of color-coded spreadsheets lies a man searching for someone to peel back the layers and fulfill his shameful fantasies. Eavesdropping at the diner in town leads him to wonder if the local mechanic might just be the man for the job. Jarod Keener likes it rough, and he makes no secret of that. But he never expects to be approached with an offer to trade accounting advice for some dirty, risky fun. Always up for a challenge, Jarod dives in headfirst but Forrest doesn't trust anyone to give him the humiliation he needs once feelings start to get in the way. When a secret about Jarod's family upends everything, Forrest will have to decide if he's willing to give Jarod a chance to show him that he can have love and the kink he longs for. Embracing His Shame includes: mild humiliation play, small-town gossip, and two men falling in love despite their best efforts.

Are You Ready to Be Free of Your Shame? Shame is debilitating. It ruins relationships, thwarts growth, and destroys hope. It can masquerade as various problems—guilt, envy, pride, resentment—but until you heal the core issue, freedom will remain out of reach. Dr. Mark W. Baker wants to open your eyes to the real battle you're facing and teach you the skills to effectively fight back. He will help you see... how guilt is often helpful, but shame is always harmful what you can do to restore relationships that have been damaged why you need and deserve a renewed understanding of your worth Combining psychological research, sound biblical teachings, and clinical experience, Dr. Baker provides a valuable resource to address the pain no one talks about—and explore the only remedy that can bring real healing.

We all carry sexual shame. Whether we grew up in the repressive purity culture of American Evangelical Christianity or not, we've all been taught in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that sex (outside of very specific contexts) is immoral and taboo. Psychotherapist Matthias Roberts helps readers overcome their shame around sex by overcoming three unhealthy coping mechanisms we use to manage that shame. Beyond Shame encourages each of us to determine our own definition of healthy sex, while avoiding the ditches of boundaryless sex positivity on the one hand and strict moralistic boundaries on the other. Define your sexual values on your own terms, overcome your shame, and start having great, healthy sex.

Envy is a universal emotion, yet people are very reluctant to confess their envy of another. In Embracing Envy, Josh Gressel suggests it is our shame at admitting we feel inferior to another person that keeps envy so hidden. Through interviews with everyday people, reviews of mainstream psychological research, and lessons from wisdom literature, this book delves into how envy can be seen as meaningful and useful in our daily lives.

You were made for more than a love/hate relationship with your body. It's one thing to know in your head that you were created in the image of God. Yet it's quite another to experience this belief in your body, against the cultural ideals of a woman's worth. And between the two lies a world of frustration, disappointment, and the shame of somehow feeling both too much and never enough in your body. Jess Connolly is a bestselling author, sought-after speaker, and trusted Bible teacher who knows this inner conflict all too well, and this book details her journey--and yours--of setting out to discover how to break free from the broken beliefs we all hold about our bodies that hold us back from our fullest life. The truest thing about you is that you are made and loved by God. And the truest thing about Him is that He cannot make bad things. This book will help you believe it with your whole self, as Jess guides you through an eye-opening, empowering process of: Renaming what the world has labeled as less-than Resting in God's workmanship Experiencing restoration where there has been injury And becoming a change agent in partnering with God to bring revival to a generation of women Far from a superficial issue, self-image is a spiritual issue, because God has named your body good from the beginning. Whether your struggle is with eating and exercise habits, stress or trauma, infertility or injury, this book makes space for you to experience God meeting you in this tender place, and ring His freedom bell over your body in a whole new way.