Shame is my safe place: AIP targeting of shame as a psychological defense

Within the AIP model, psychological defense can be defined as the part of the trauma-based dysfunctionally stored memory network that blocks access to other parts of the network. For many clients, an essential first step in therapy is to identify and target defense, in order to then access and resolve post-traumatic emotional disturbance. For the AIP therapist, it is useful to categorize defenses as avoidant, idealizing and/or shame-based (i.e. shame as a distortion in identity, left over from a time when it was “better to be a bad kid with good parents than a good kid with bad parents”). This presentation will focus on a method of targeting and processing an identity of shamefulness that is functioning as a defense against full realization of the original trauma.

Conference

English

Jim Knipe

Knipe, J. (2010, September/October). Shame is my safe place: AIP targeting of shame as a psychological defense. Presentation at the 15th EMDR International Association Conference, Minneapolis, MN