Shame & Guilt Therapy Program

This therapy program is designed for individuals struggling with chronic shame, guilt, and internalized self-blame—often tied to early relational wounds, trauma, social conditioning, or moral injury. These emotions may feel heavy, persistent, and private, and often result in over-apologizing, perfectionism, emotional withdrawal, or harsh inner criticism.

You may carry a deep sense of being “not enough,” “broken,” or “too much.” This program offers a step-by-step process for understanding where these patterns come from, how they operate in your thoughts and body, and how to begin shifting toward a more compassionate, accepting, and empowered relationship with yourself.

Weeks 1–2: Understanding Shame & Guilt

• Goals: Establish emotional safety, normalize your experience, and begin to externalize blame.

• Learn the difference between healthy guilt, toxic shame, and how they function in the brain and nervous system.

• Identify your own shame/guilt patterns, emotional triggers, and internal coping responses (e.g., collapse, overexplaining, dissociation).

• Begin using grounding techniques and somatic awareness to reduce emotional overwhelm and reactivity.

• Explore early sources of internalized shame or moral distress in a safe and supportive space.

Weeks 3–4: Identifying the Inner Critic

• Goals: Make visible the harsh self-talk and negative beliefs driving shame.

• Use CBT techniques to identify distorted thinking (e.g., “I always mess things up,” “I’m unforgivable,” “I should be better by now”).

• Map where these beliefs came from (e.g., parenting, school, religious systems, abuse).

• Begin externalizing the inner critic voice and distinguishing it from your core self.

• Introduce compassion-focused journaling or internal dialogue exercises.

Weeks 5–6: Processing Shame Memories

• Goals: Begin resolving emotionally stuck experiences contributing to chronic shame or guilt.

• Use EMDR (if appropriate) to reprocess key memories involving humiliation, rejection, failure, or moral injury.

• Use imaginal rescripting or inner child work to revisit painful scenes with a new lens.

• Identify themes of “I am bad,” “It was my fault,” or “I don’t deserve forgiveness” and begin restructuring them.

• Support the nervous system in tolerating self-compassion and emotional presence.

Weeks 7–8: Rebuilding a Compassionate Self-Image

• Goals: Develop a more accepting, flexible, and kind internal identity.

• Use Compassion-Focused Therapy practices to strengthen the inner “compassionate self.”

• Practice imagery, self-supportive language, and nervous system co-regulation tools.

• Explore forgiveness—not as a forced goal, but as a gradual unburdening from shame’s grip.

• Deepen the connection with values, worth, and your inherent humanity.

Weeks 9–10: Reconnection & Emotional Repair

• Goals: Begin reconnecting with others and life from a place of dignity, not shame avoidance.

• Identify how shame has affected relationships, boundaries, or authenticity.

• Practice safe, boundaried emotional expression in relationships.

• Use ACT and values-based tools to support forward movement in areas of meaning, even with lingering pain.

• Explore what it means to be “whole but healing,” rather than “fixed.”

Weeks 11–12: Integration & Resilience Building

• Goals: Solidify internal shifts, reduce relapse risk, and anchor future identity in self-compassion.

• Reflect on personal change: What beliefs no longer define you? What emotions are easier to hold?

• Develop a personal “Shame Recovery Plan” for handling setbacks, reactivations, or regressions.

• Reinforce a flexible, loving internal stance that can stay steady through life’s inevitable imperfections.

• End with a values-aligned closing: celebrating strength, vulnerability, and self-reclamation.

 

Note: This is a general roadmap. We'll tailor the pacing and methods based on your unique story, emotional readiness, and goals.

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Related links​

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• [All Therapy Programs] → link.

• [Book a Therapy Program online] → link

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I am Ily Tsare, an accredited EMDR therapist, certified CBT practitioner, and business & career psychologist.

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If you are ready to take the first step, sign up for the first consultation today by filling out the form below or messaging me directly on WhatsApp.​​​