Self-Compassion for Shame
A Step-by-Step Guide to Inner Freedom
Christopher Germer
HardcoverPaperbacke-bookprint + e-book
Hardcover
pre-orderOctober 29, 2026
ISBN 9781462564293
Price: $30.00 290 Pages
Size: 6" x 9"
Paperback
pre-orderOctober 1, 2026
ISBN 9781462557882
Price: $19.95290 Pages
Size: 6" x 9"
print + e-book $39.90 $23.94
pre-orderPaperback + e-Book (Accessible ePub) ?
Price: 290 Pages
ePub is Global Certified Accessible
Digital professor copy available on VitalSource once published ?You're bad. Unlovable. You want to hide. Over decades of experience as a therapist and mindfulness expert, Christopher Germer has learned how truly devastating shame can be. But Dr. Germer has also developed a powerful approach to healing. This wise, encouraging book guides the reader to understand how shame constricts their life and take concrete steps to break free. Based on Dr. Germer's renowned Self-Compassion for Shame course, the book is chock-full of stories, reflections, “Try This” exercises, and guided practices, including audio tracks at the companion website. Readers can work through the 21 concise chapters at their own pace and use the practices on the spot whenever they feel shame in daily life.
“Dr. Germer draws on many years of experience as a psychologist and mindful self-compassion pioneer. He provides a treasure trove of insights and ways of engaging with that sense of shame that can belittle and terrify. If shame has haunted you, this is the book to help you talk to the ghosts and set them free.”
—Paul Gilbert PhD, FBPsS, OBE, author of The Compassionate Mind
“Dr. Germer is a legendary teacher for good reason, and his voice—friendly, funny, encouraging, self-disclosing, tender, wise, and so compassionate—is with you on every page of this book. Shame is the deepest root of most people's pain; Dr. Germer offers many examples, experiential practices, and concrete suggestions to bring you gently through its layers to an unshakeable sense of your own goodness and worth. This book is really a gem.”
—Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain
“Dr. Germer shines a light on one of the most painful and isolating of human emotions. The practices are skillfully designed, immediately usable, and powerfully effective. For anyone carrying the silent, often invisible burden of shame, this book has the potential to be truly life-changing.”
—Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion
“Few forms of suffering are as pervasive—or as hidden—as shame, the core conviction that something is wrong with who we are. In this wise and deeply humane book, Dr. Germer shows us a pathway that can free us from the trance of deficiency. With insight, warmth, and grounded science, he illuminates how shame takes hold in the mind and body, and how mindful self-compassion allows us to meet our most vulnerable places with kindness rather than judgment. The result is profoundly liberating—a rediscovery of our intrinsic goodness and our belonging to life. This book is a powerful and trustworthy guide for anyone longing to heal shame and live with a more open, loving heart.”
—Tara Brach, PhD, author of Radical Acceptance
“Self-compassion is a radically different approach to inner relating that changes everything, and Dr. Germer has led the charge toward this change. I believe that shame is the most toxic burden your parts carry—it underlies so many symptoms and problems. Through experiential exercises, paired with Dr. Germer's wise and warm guidance, you can release this sense of worthlessness and realize who you really are. You can shine again and light up your life. This is detox for the soul!”
—Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, author of No Bad Parts