Shame is one of the most powerful and painful emotional experiences, often deeply embedded in the aftermath of trauma. It can create cycles of self-judgment, isolation, and emotional distress, making healing feel out of reach. Using Internal Family Systems (IFS), this workshop provides practical skills to help clients safely engage with and heal parts of themselves burdened by post-traumatic shame.

Participants will explore how shame operates within the internal system, learn to recognize and unblend from shame-based parts, and develop compassionate self- leadership. By fostering curiosity and connection, individuals can begin to shift their relationship with shame from one of avoidance to understanding.

Through a combination of teaching, guided exercises, and experiential practice, attendees will gain tools to:

– Identify and understand the protective role of shame in the internal system

– Cultivate a self-led, compassionate approach to working with shame-based parts

– Use IFS-based interventions to help clients unburden shame and foster self-acceptance

– Enhance therapeutic presence to support clients in navigating deep-rooted shame

Attendance and Location Details

Date and Time

**This is a 3-CE online seminar delivered virtually in real-time via an industry-standard webinar platform**

Friday, October 3, 2025 9:00 am – 12:00 pm CST / 10:00 am – 1:00 pm EST / 7:00 am – 10:00 am PST

*Live Webinar Attendees: Zoom link and course materials will be made available to you 24-48 hours prior to event date

Agenda:

9:00 – 9:15 CST | Welcome &  Introduction
– Opening and setting intentions
– Overview of workshop goals and agenda
– Introduction to IFS concepts (Self, Parts, Protectors, Exiles)

9:15 – 10:30 CST | Understanding Shame through the IFS Lens
– The role of shame in the internal system (Protectors vs. Exiles)
– Common shame-based parts (inner critic, perfectionist, people-pleaser)
– Self-energy and its importance in healing shame

10:30 – 11:15 CST | IFS Techniques for Working with Shame Protectors
– Unblending from shame-based protectors (e.g., the inner critic)
– Techniques for building trust with protectors (e.g., befriending the critic)
– Live demonstration or role-play exercise

Unburdening Shame: Supporting the Healing Process
– The path to unburdening: Witnessing, retrieving, and releasing
– Using Self-energy to foster compassion and healing
– Interactive practice in pairs or small groups (brief)

11:15 – 12:00 CST | Integration and Application
– How to apply these skills in client sessions
– Managing therapist parts that may arise when working with shame
– Brief discussion: Challenges in working with shame in practice
– Key takeaways and final thoughts
– Resource recommendations (books, articles, further training)
– Closing ritual or moment of gratitude

Objectives:

a). After completing this training, participants will be able to recognize the role of shame in the Internal System.

b). After completing this training, participants will be able to differentiate between shame-based parts and self-leadership.

c). After completing this training, participants will be able to engage shame protectors with curiosity and compassion.

d). After completing this training, participants will be able to guide clients in unburdening shame.

e). After completing this training, participants will be able to strengthen therapeutic presence.

Target Audience:

Mental Health Clinicians & Therapists, Social Workers, Psychologists, Coaches, and healing professionals familiar with IFS principles who want to deepen their ability to work with post-traumatic shame effectively.

Instructional Level: Intermediate

Instructor(s): Frank Anderson, MD

Material Author(s): Frank Anderson, MD

Frank Anderson, MD, is a world-renowned trauma expert, Harvard-trained psychiatrist and global speaker. He is the co-author of the IFS Skills Training Manual (2017), acclaimed best-selling author of Transcending Trauma (2021) and newly released memoir, To Be Loved: A Story of Truth, Trauma and Transformation (2024). Dr Anderson has a long affiliation with Bessel van der Kolk at the Trauma Research Foundation and is a lead trainer at the IFS Institute under Richard Schwartz. He is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with cutting edge models of therapy. Dr. Anderson believes that traumatic events can have a lasting effect on the health and well-being of individuals and that addressing these events will help lead people down a path of love, connection and unity. He is the director and cofounder of the Trauma Institute (traumainstitute.com) and Trauma-Informed Media (trauma-informedmedia.com), organizations that provide educational resources and promote trauma awareness. As a result of his early childhood experiences and personal journey transformation, he is dedicated to bringing more trauma healing to the world. He splits his time between Boston and Los Angeles where he lives with his husband and two sons. Follow him at FrankAndersonMD.com and on Instagram at frank_andersonmd.

For additional information about this course, the instructors, or the material authors, please contact Content Assistance at content@onlinececredits.com.

Course Materials & Delivery Method:

• Course materials (including the link to view the scheduled live webinar) are made available to all registered attendees 24-48 hours before the event start time. 
• This training is interactive and provides opportunities to ask direct questions to the trainer as well as request immediate help from staff if needed. The attendee will view the presentation in real-time from their connected device via an industry-standard internet webinar platform.

CE Approvals:

Online CE Credits has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6795. Programs that do not quality for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Online CE Credits is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

Mind Works Professional Education, Inc. DBA Online CE Credits, #1974, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: July 23, 2024 – July 23, 2025. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits.

Other Helpful Information:

• Registration Deadline – please register at any time prior to the advertised start time of this live webinar training.
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• Certificate of Completion – certificates of completion are automatically generated – downloadable from your Dashboard and emailed to you – once you complete the code word attendance quiz and the course evaluation. Please complete these items to receive your certificate immediately after the live webinar training is concluded.
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