A few people asked me to provide a list of good resources concerning shame, as this is a very difficult problem when one emerges from spiritual abuse. I've listed my personal favorites in order of importance, including both books and audio resources. In order of importance and helpfulness, with a Christian focus in mind, I would start at the top and work my way down the list. The first two resources are critical ones and have been so for me and for some of my close friends as they embarked upon the journey to wholeness.
First Choice: “From Shame to Glory”
Audio Presentation by Kathryn Chamberlin, LCSW-C
Kathryn attends the Fourth Presbyterian Church in Bethesda, Maryland, a church that is a member of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church denomination, following the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism.
As you are free to note on her webpage, she holds a nursing degree from University of Virginia, a Master's Degree in Social Work from The Catholic University and certification in Biblical Counseling. She practices Christian counseling with the Bethesda Counseling Group, offering services to those in the Baltimore-DC Metro area.
Kathryn's presentation, “From Shame to Glory” is perhaps the best place to start a journey out of shame and into the liberty that is afforded to all believers in Christ Jesus. She has several other audio resources available, and I would also recommend considering these additional presentations as well:
- **From Shame To Glory**
- Shame versus Worth
- The Approval Addict
- The Performance Trap
- Hurt Trail to Idolatry
- The Door Metaphor
Second “First Choice”: “Love is a Choice”
Hemfelt, Minirth and Meier's book on codependency examines the problem of persistent shame in the Christian's life. Christ saves us from the shame of sin and restores us, but for those of us who have been raised in families that were lacking the support we desperately needed, we tend to get stuck in patterns of shame that can prevent us from fully embracing the fullness of our forgiveness and liberty in Christ. Their ten step program teaches about how we can get caught up in repetitive patterns of shame and how we can be liberated from shame.
** There is also a companion workbook, if you find that such resources have been helpful to you in the past, but it is not necessary to glean wisdom from the message in the book.
Next Option:
Depending on how the first two resources minister to you, and depending on the nature of the areas that God begins to heal in your life, I would recommend choosing between a Christian and a secular resource.
If you find yourself very compelled by “Love is a Choice,” finding the message of that book more relevant to your needs and interests, I would consider reading some secular material concerning shame. Though any book on the subject of shame or codependency as it was once popularly called would be appropriate, I find that these titles have been very good. These have all been time honored and standards in the area of overcoming shame.
- "Facing Codependence" and the companion workbook “Breaking Free” (Mellody)
- "Codependent No More" & "Beyond Codependency" (Beattie)
- "Compelled to Control" (Miller)
If you find that you are still uncomfortable with a secular message, and Kathryn's message holds more value for you, I would consider these following Christian titles first.
- "Hiding from Love" (Townsend)
- "Boundaries" and companion workbook (Townsend and Cloud)
- "The Healing Path" and and companion workbook (Allender)
- Meditation to help recovery from shame from the National Association for Christian Recovery
Free Resources from
The National Association for Christian Recovery:
- Recovery From Shame article and worksheet
- Free library of articles from back issues of STEPS magazine.
Devotionals for Christians in Recovery:
- "Rooted in God's Love" (NACR, who also offers a free daily email devotional)
- "12 Step Life Recovery Devotional" (Arteburn & Stoop)
In the post to follow, I will post the titles and links to several books that discuss the unique problems and issues presented by the teachings of the “Visionary Daughters” and the Botkin family that is affiliated with Vision Forum.
