Description
Shame is one of the most powerful and often least visible emotions that can emerge within the playroom, yet it can have a profound impact on a child’s emotional wellbeing, sense of self, and capacity to form relationships. It may appear subtly through withdrawal, avoidance, perfectionism, aggression, or through themes in play that reflect exposure, rejection, or “being wrong.” Because shame is often hidden, it can be challenging for therapists to recognise and even more challenging to sit alongside in a grounded and therapeutic way.
This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) webinar explores the origins and functions of shame, particularly in relation to trauma, attachment experiences, and relational ruptures. Participants will consider how shame develops, how it differs from guilt, and how both emotions may present within the therapeutic space. The session will also explore the impact of shame on behaviour, self-esteem, and relational patterns, supporting practitioners to develop a deeper clinical understanding of its role in children’s emotional lives.
A key focus of the training will be the therapist’s own experience of shame, including how it may be activated through transference and countertransference processes within the therapeutic relationship. Participants will be encouraged to reflect on their emotional responses and consider how awareness of these dynamics can support more attuned and compassionate practice. The webinar will also explore how therapists can create a safe, containing, and non-judgemental therapeutic environment that allows children to begin exploring and healing experiences of shame.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this webinar participants will be able to:
Develop an understanding of the nature, development, and function of shame in children’s emotional and relational experiences.
Recognise the signs and presentations of shame within the playroom, including both overt and subtle expressions.
Differentiate between shame and guilt and understand how each may present in therapeutic work.
Explore the impact of shame on behaviour, self-esteem, identity, and relationships.
Reflect on the therapist’s own experiences of shame and how these may emerge through transference and countertransference.
Understand how shame can influence the therapeutic relationship and clinical decision-making.
Develop strategies for creating safe, non-judgemental, and emotionally containing therapeutic environments.
Identify play-based and relational approaches that can support children in processing and healing shame.
Strengthen confidence in sitting alongside shame with empathy, attunement, and therapeutic presence.
Why Attend?
Shame can be one of the most difficult emotions to recognise and work with in therapeutic practice, yet it is often at the core of many emotional and behavioural presentations in children. Understanding shame more deeply allows therapists to respond with greater sensitivity, reduce re-enactments of shame within the therapeutic relationship, and create conditions for healing and self-acceptance.
This webinar offers a reflective and clinically grounded exploration of shame, supporting practitioners to develop greater confidence in recognising, understanding, and working with this complex emotional experience in the playroom.
