Question
Where does shame come from?
Answer
Shame originates in early life experiences and is deeply rooted in both individual development and ancestral lineage. From birth, individuals are immersed in environments shaped by the unhealed emotional wounds of previous generations. These wounds, often unrecognized and unprocessed, are passed down through familial behaviors, beliefs, and emotional patterns.
Children, who are open and highly receptive, naturally absorb these messages without the context or support needed to understand or separate them from their own identities. As a result, much of the shame individuals carry originates not from their own actions but from inherited emotional burdens.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, "Unpacking, Transforming and Healing Shame: Theory and Practice for Mental Health Practitioners", presented by Shira Sameroff, MSW, LCSW.
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