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Ep. 29. Demystifying and Overcoming Fear and Shame: The Odyssey of (Gestalt Luminary) Richard Dennison

Demystifying and Overcoming Fear and Shame: The Odyssey of (Gestalt Luminary) Richard Dennison

Rafael Cortina interviews Richard Dennison

Rafael is going global again. He is making his virtual way through Europe, and has landed another humble luminary in the Gestalt World, Richard Dennison. Richard hails from the southwest corner of England. Richard Dennison first worked in a psychiatric hospital in London at the ripe old age of 19. He actually found that studying psychology at University was disappointing. It paled in comparison to real human life and relationships. Richard was most curious about how fear and shame impact relationships and how Gestalt work has the real potential to catalyze lasting change.

Richard confessed that he has had to overcome a traumatic upbringing. He is a self-described lifelong learner. Dennison is an expert in the phenomenological realization of shame, including how it affects trauma and recovery. Richard believes that Gestalt Therapy has many lasting benefits: “Through the process of awareness, the individuals gain an understanding of themselves and their environment. They recognize the potential for change and their capacity to make choices, so that they may live an authentic, and meaningful life.”