Discovering the Extraordinary Gift of Being Ordinary: Overcoming Self-Doubt and Shame with Mindfulness and Compassion

Presented by Ronald D. Siegel, PsyD via Zoom

“Did I sound stupid?” “Should I have sent that email?” “How do I look?” Why do we, and our clients, spend so much time feeling self-conscious and comparing ourselves to others? Why do we struggle so to live up to inner ideals or outer standards, only to regularly feel not good enough and either ashamed of our shortcomings or stressed-out trying to keep our self-esteem afloat? 

The assumption that we can find lasting happiness by being more successful, likable, attractive, intelligent, or morally above reproach is so woven into our biology and culture that few of us notice it’s not actually true. Sure, having success or otherwise getting to think highly of ourselves feels good—it just isn't long before we hit a bump in the road, lose the feeling, and are left hungry for the next boost. 

This presentation will zero in on how we and our clients can begin to step off the self-evaluation roller coaster. We’ll explore techniques to navigate failure, rejection, and shame, free ourselves from addiction to self-esteem boosts, while developing deeper relationships and greater comfort with vulnerability.