Episode 113 – Unshaming with David Bedrick

How often do you catch yourself wondering, What’s wrong with me? If you’ve ever felt trapped in cycles of shame—you’re not alone. In this episode, I sit down with David Bedrick, author of The Unshaming Way, to explore how shame shapes our lives, how power and privilege protect themselves, and why unshaming is the real path to healing. We talk about how gaslighting (both internal and external) keeps us small, why recognizing our own privilege is essential as healers and leaders, and how we can rewrite the narratives that have been imposed on us. We also take a look at David’s astrology, including his Chiron in Aquarius, and how the “wounded healer” archetype plays into his life’s work. If you’ve ever struggled with internalized shame or questioned your place as a leader, this episode is for you.

✨ In this episode, we dive into:

• Why shame is a leadership challenge we don’t talk about enough
• The difference between shame and guilt—and why it matters
• Gaslighting, power, and the struggle to be believed
• How to recognize internalized oppression and break free
• Chiron and astrology—how the wounded healer leads with lived experience

Meet David Bedrick

David Bedrick, author, teacher, counselor, and attorney joins us today. He grew up in a family marked by violence. While his father’s brutality was physical and verbal, his mother’s denial and gaslighting had its own covert power. This formative context introduced David early to the etiology (or cause) of shame and instilled an urge to unshame.

Professionally, he was on the faculty for the University of Phoenix and the Process Work Institute in the U.S. and Poland and is the founder of the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-based Studies where he trains therapists, coaches and healers and offers workshops for individuals to further their own personal development.

David writes for Psychology Today and is the author of three books: Talking Back to Dr. Phil: Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology and Revisioning Activism: Bringing Depth, Dialogue, and Diversity to Individual and Social Change. His new book is You Can’t Judge a Body by Its
Cover: 17 Women’s Stories of Hunger, Body Shame and Redemption.

His new book, The Unshaming Way, was published by North Atlantic books in November 2024.

Ways to connect with David:

• Order The Unshaming Way on Amazon: https://a.co/d/dYTwNa7
• Website: davidbedrick.com/
• Instagram: nstagram.com/david.bedrick/
• Facebook: acebook.com/DBedrick
• Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com/ca/contributors/david-bedrick-jd-dipl-pw

Want to deepen your understanding of your Natal Chart?

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