Ghosts of the Past, Chains of the Present: Understanding and Releasing Shame

Available as either an ePub file (suitable for all eBooks) or as a PDF file.

An easy-to-read guide to shame, its causes and effects, and how to let it go as part of your life.

In my psychotherapy practice I became aware of how many of my clients’ issues related to shame, whether it was their relationships, their mental health conditions (such as depression), or whether they were just struggling with common, everyday issues. I began facilitating group workshops where, together, we explored shame and its life consequences. Although I was ostensibly informing the participants about shame, I also learned a great deal from them about their individual shame. I have used that knowledge, and combined it with the most up-to-date information from psychologists, psychiatrists, and neuropsychologists.

Ghosts of the Past, Chains of the Present: Understanding and Releasing Shame is a comprehensive and highly relatable work, whether the reader is impacted by shame themselves or by someone else, whether from an intellectual perspective, or simply out of general interest. Ghosts of the Past, Chains of the Present clearly explains what shame is, how it affects people, and how to stop it controlling your life. However, it is more than a self-help book, and explains in detail both the causes as well as the ways to release shame.

Martin Guinness

People who may be interested in reading this book include:

1. Self-Help & Personal Growth Readers

• People struggling with irrational self-judgment (especially about past mistakes that creates fear of rejection.
• People dealing with a sense of failure, or unworthiness, which can lead to avoidance, isolation, and a diminished sense of self, and keeps a person from pursuing opportunities, relationships, or personal growth.
• Those dealing with social anxiety or fear of judgment
• Readers looking for healing and self-compassion

2. Mental Health Professionals & Clients

• Therapists, counselors, and psychologists
• Clients working through shame in therapy
• Social workers and coaches

3. Trauma Survivors & Support Groups

• Survivors of abuse, addiction, or neglect
• People overcoming toxic relationships or religious trauma
• Recovery communities (AA, NA, etc.)

4. Religious & Spiritual Audiences

• Readers exploring guilt and redemption in faith contexts
• Church leaders and members dealing with religious shame
• Mindfulness and Buddhist communities (shame and ego dissolution)

5. Academic & Thought Leaders

• Researchers in psychology, sociology, or philosophy
• Educators and students studying human behavior
• Writers and public speakers exploring vulnerability (e.g., Brené Brown fans)