Do you ever feel ashamed? Many people find it among their most physical emotions, resulting in a big knot of tension or a hot flush that washes over their whole body. But what is shame, and where does it come from? I recently read a LOT of academic papers and books, and also popular books about shame, and the most helpful resource I found among all of the ones I read was written by my guest today, A.J. Bond. A.J. is a wrier and a filmmaker who experienced a shame-related breakthrough in his own therapy several years ago, and who subsequently became certified as a Healing Shame Practitioner through the Center for Healing Shame in Berkeley. We discuss, among other things: The origins of shame all the way back in our childhoods What kinds of shame really are helpful in our lives How to heal from toxic shame so we don't pass it on to our own children AJ's book: Discomfortable: What is shame and how can we break its hold? (Affiliate link)