emotional wellbeing Apr 15, 2026
Internalized Shame: 'I Did Bad' vs 'I Am Bad'
What internalized shame is, how it differs from healthy guilt, where it comes from, and how therapy and self-compassion can help you relate to it differently.
Category
Long-form essays on emotional wellbeing — the building blocks of a settled inner life, with the psychology and research that backs them up.
What internalized shame is, how it differs from healthy guilt, where it comes from, and how therapy and self-compassion can help you relate to it differently.
What the fawn response is, how it develops from early relational threat, why it looks like kindness but feels like self-abandonment, and what recovery involves.
What self-compassion is, why self-criticism backfires, and practical, evidence-based ways to build a kinder and more resilient relationship with yourself.