I often get surprised looks when I tell people that I love working with shame.  Shame is an emotional state that can be quite hidden from awareness while nevertheless exerting a powerful influence on how we think, feel, convey ourselves, react and interact with others.  And while it has a certain social purpose, for most people, shame can become a significant roadblock to growth, to risk taking, to taking responsibility, and to deeply connecting with ourself and others.  The impulse to keep it hidden reinforces shame's insidious nature. In the compassionate container of therapy, and when ready, bringing shame to light can be immensely relieving and liberating as shame loses its force and begins to dissolve. 

Intimate relationships can be some of the most rewarding and challenging experiences of being human. We are wired for connection as biological necessity and yet, we are also wired to remember painful experiences to keep us out of danger. The difficulties that emerge in close relationships are often caused by wounds from early relationships. Through understanding your relational blueprints from early life, and experiencing them emotionally in a new way, there is an opportunity to rewire past experiences and unlearn tendencies that are blocking the genuine, open-hearted connection of which you are capable.