The Archetypal Death Parent and Toxic Shame: A Traumatising Partnership

The archetypal Death Parent represents harmful and traumatising energy that comes to us from a person, institution, culture, or nation state which we would naturally expect to nurture, protect, and support us. Having the Death Parent turn on us feels like being caught in Medusa’s gaze: we are paralyzed, frozen, and turned to stone. The Death Parent’s energy can be expressed in a variety of ways. This presentation explores the Death Parent expressed as toxic shame.

Healthy shame is a social and moral emotion which evolved to warn us that our behaviour is jeopardising important social relationships. In contrast, toxic shame is an embodied and enduring conviction that we are so intrinsically flawed that trustworthy and meaningful social relationships are forever beyond our reach. Throughout human evolutionary history, those without trustworthy and meaningful social relationships would have died.

Once toxic shame is woven into our bodies and minds, we have no choice but to turn Medusa’s gaze in on ourselves and to project it out on to others. A traumatising and self-perpetuating cycle ensues. This presentation will illuminate that cycle.

Daniela F. Sieff, PhD is an author and scholar who explores the dynamics that underlie emotional trauma, healing, and wellbeing. For as long as Daniela can remember she has been curious about the forces which shape us as human beings. In her 20s that curiosity led her to a doctorate in biological anthropology at the University of Oxford, where she explored evolutionary influences on human behaviour. In her 30s, Daniela’s focus shifted and for the last 20 years she has been exploring how emotional trauma shapes us and how we can reshape ourselves, heal and find wellbeing. Daniela is author of Understanding and Healing Emotional Trauma: Conversations with Pioneering Clinicians and Researchers. She is currently writing a book on The Archetypal Death Parent. For more information, visit https://danielasieff.com/

• Ticket sales end Wednesday, 29th June at 6.00pm.
• Zoom link will be sent from isja.events@gmail.com the day before the event and again one hour before the start time on the day.
• This event will be recorded and the link will be available for 2 weeks for the personal viewing of registered participants only.
• The Psychoanalytic Section of the Irish Council for Psychotherapy has awarded this event 1.5 CPD points.