Overcoming Shame

Baker (Spiritual Wisdom for a Happier Life), clinical psychologist, family therapist, and executive director of La Vie Counseling Centers in Los Angeles, aims to free Christians from toxic thinking in this clear-eyed denunciation of self-loathing. Baker begins with guilt: “To manage your guilt, you must do things differently. Being honest about wrongdoing, repenting of it, and seeking forgiveness are things you can do in response to your guilt,” he writes. “But to deal with your shame, you must actually be different. That is, you must be vulnerable and experience what it is like to share feelings honestly with others in ways that change you.” Baker describes how early childhood traumas have often left a lasting impact on adults who live a “shame-prone” life—he defines these adults as people who believe their feelings of shame are “a toxic confirmation of a moral defect in [them] that cannot be changed.” Baker encourages Christians to explore the power of vulnerability, view humility as a positive character trait, resist giving way to resentment, and address feelings of envy and jealousy in order to dispel feelings of shame. The text is also replete with case studies that bring to life his principles so that readers can witness how a “shame-prone” attitude can negatively impact lives and relationships. Baker’s clinical expertise will help Christian readers struggling with insidious, self-afflicting thoughts. [em](Mar.) [/em]