The role of shame is often overlooked in therapy and mental health research because it is hard to talk about and is psychobiologically difficult to measure. Nevertheless, Brené Brown has provided us a framework to heal it in ourselves as clinicians and to pass that healing along.

Because we as clinicians cannot effectively stand beside our patients in realms that we haven’t explored ourselves, we will use the metaphor of ‘the Arena’ to explore our subconscious limiting beliefs and better assist our patients in understanding theirs.

This workshop will explore in dyads, and individual experience, the phenomena of scarcity, comparison, and shame and how we need to strengthen ourselves as clinicians with empathy and self-compassion in order to be effective guides for our patients.

This workshop will...

• help participants to understand and begin to utilize the metaphor of the arena to examine the challenges associated with feeling vulnerable or with engaging in behaviors that lead to uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure
• utilize a shared language in the group to talk about the various components of the arena
• begin to understand the relationships among vulnerability, scarcity, shame, and comparison
• recognize how criticism and cynicism neurologically impede our willingness to be vulnerable

WMHCA's member rate is $125, non-member rate is $175, and student rate is $10 (CEs not awarded with student rate). This training is sponsored by WMHCA.

Participants will receive a certificate for 6 hours of continuing education from WMHCA. This training has been approved for Washington State licensed mental health counselors (and associates), licensed marriage and family therapists (and associates), and licensed social workers (and associates).