1 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast, a weekly 2 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: conversation about mental health, personal development, and all the small 3 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: decisions we can make to become the best possible versions 4 00:00:22,360 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: of ourselves. I'm your host, Dr Joy hard and Bradford, 5 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:31,880 Speaker 1: a licensed psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information or 6 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: to find a therapist in your area, visit our website 7 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 1: at Therapy for Black Girls dot com. While I hope 8 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: you love listening to and learning from the podcast, it 9 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 1: is not meant to be a substitute for a relationship 10 00:00:46,159 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: with a licensed mental health professional. Hey, y'all, thanks so 11 00:00:57,040 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: much for joining me for session to seventy nine of 12 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 1: the Therapy for Black Girls Podcast. We'll get right into 13 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:20,080 Speaker 1: our conversation after a word from our sponsors. It's officially 14 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 1: spooky season, y'all. For many of us, the idea of 15 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: gazing into the darkest parts of ourselves is more terrifying 16 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:30,399 Speaker 1: than any Halloween thriller or monster movie we could ever watch, 17 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 1: which is understandable. It can be difficult emotional work to 18 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: dig up the parts of ourselves that we'd rather bury 19 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,600 Speaker 1: six ft under. The repressed parts of ourselves often challenge 20 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: who we think we are and bring up feelings we'd 21 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,400 Speaker 1: rather forget. But what if we learn to integrate and 22 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: accept the parts of ourselves we hide in the dark. 23 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: What if uncovering the parts of ourselves were hiding in 24 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: the shadows will illuminate who we really want to be. 25 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:58,560 Speaker 1: In this week's session, I'm joined by licensed therapists and 26 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: author of the shadow Work work book Self Care Exercises 27 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: for Healing your Trauma and Exploring your Hidden self, Darrell Caribio. 28 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: Our conversation explores how shadow work allows for more self 29 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,239 Speaker 1: acceptance and living a more aligned life, and the hidden 30 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:16,520 Speaker 1: gifts and talents that may be locked away in our 31 00:02:16,560 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: shadow selves. If something resonates with you while enjoying our conversation, 32 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: please share with us on social media using the hashtag 33 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: tv G in session or join us over in the 34 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,000 Speaker 1: Sister Circle To talk more in depth about the episode. 35 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 1: You can join us at community that Therapy for Black 36 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: Girls dot com. Here's our conversation, So, Darrell, can you 37 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: get started by telling us what your shadow work? Sure? So, 38 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: shadow work to me is the process of bringing the 39 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:53,680 Speaker 1: unconscious conscious. So it's about connecting with the hidden parts 40 00:02:53,720 --> 00:02:57,520 Speaker 1: of ourselves that we probably don't acknowledge. In our day 41 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: to day interactions. I kind of think about it into 42 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: terms of like the Wizard of Oz moment where they 43 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: finally discover who the wizard is, right, and it's like 44 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,360 Speaker 1: peeling back that curtain to saying like, what is the 45 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:12,239 Speaker 1: reality of the things that have been the driving forces 46 00:03:12,520 --> 00:03:16,320 Speaker 1: in my world in my space that maybe I haven't acknowledged? 47 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: And so shadow work, to me is the process of 48 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: getting connected to those things and figuring out what you 49 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: want to do with him and how you want to 50 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: exist alongside them. Can you say some about the history 51 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,839 Speaker 1: of this term, like where does this term come from? 52 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: Our shadow work, our shadow self? Yeah, so the term 53 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: shadow was popularized by analysts, psychoanalysts, whatever terms people use 54 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: in those days. Carl Young, who was a competitor Freud. 55 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: So he's, you know, another old white dude back in 56 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: the day who was trying to figure out why people 57 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: do the things they do and how to treat people 58 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,920 Speaker 1: and and take care of people. And he came up 59 00:03:56,920 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: with this idea that sort of mirrors Freud's idea of 60 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: the unconscious, but it kind of expanded upon it to 61 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 1: give this language that was a little bit more psycho spiritual, 62 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 1: which is a lot of what Young was about. You know, 63 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:17,280 Speaker 1: he was someone who was a traditional analyst, but he 64 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,840 Speaker 1: was also this this person and scholar who's interested in 65 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 1: astrology and the connection between psychology and astrology and spirituality. 66 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:30,039 Speaker 1: So he was a little different than Freud and sort 67 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:35,160 Speaker 1: of how he conceptualized and how he thought about understanding 68 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: all the parts of ourselves. And so if Freud had 69 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: the unconscious, Young had the shadow, which is sort of 70 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:45,839 Speaker 1: like this hidden kind of part of yourself. Since then, 71 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 1: that's been the strict unions will refer to the shadow, 72 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: but it's not one of those really popular terms that 73 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: comes up a lot in mainstream psychology. So how do 74 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 1: we get started with doing shadow work? Like, you know, 75 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:03,000 Speaker 1: say somebody, here's our conversation and they're like, okay, are 76 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:04,920 Speaker 1: ready to do some of this shadow work? What does 77 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 1: that even look like? To get started? First? I want 78 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: people to recognize that it can be very difficult, right 79 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:16,039 Speaker 1: looking at yourself, deeply looking at parts of yourself that 80 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: maybe aren't as good or wonderful or wholesome. Caring is 81 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:26,359 Speaker 1: hard work psychologically, and so the way I talk about 82 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: it in the book is sort of this kind of 83 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: like three step process and it's really you know, from 84 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,920 Speaker 1: our sort of like mental health training, it's I take 85 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: a trauma informed approach to it. So one, it's important 86 00:05:39,279 --> 00:05:42,640 Speaker 1: to really pace yourself because this is difficult emotional work. 87 00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 1: It is probably gonna bring up some not so great 88 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: things for you. But then two, it's like you want 89 00:05:47,680 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 1: to have these this process of setting yourself up for 90 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:55,360 Speaker 1: success with grounding or some sort of yes, centering experience, 91 00:05:56,000 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: so you can really one get past your normal sort 92 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: of day to day defensive is and feel secure in 93 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: the work that you're about to do. Then you can 94 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:08,320 Speaker 1: really get into sort of these journal exercises that are 95 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:10,719 Speaker 1: in the book, these sort of reflections on these deeper 96 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:14,080 Speaker 1: parts of yourself. And then, and this is the part 97 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,360 Speaker 1: that's not often talked about is and what I'm really 98 00:06:17,400 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: glad about that happens in the book is that every 99 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:26,440 Speaker 1: topic also comes with a set of affirmations because ultimately, 100 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: shadow work is about accepting and integrating. It's not this 101 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:33,679 Speaker 1: idea that you have these bad parts and they only 102 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 1: exist to be bad and you are bad. No, it's 103 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: the opposite. It is shadow means we all have the 104 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 1: capacity for whatever impulses, darker impulses if you want to 105 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:49,039 Speaker 1: put it that way. So if we can accept those 106 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,640 Speaker 1: it's just a fact of being human, then we can 107 00:06:52,680 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: integrate them and we can find ways to engage with 108 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: them that are less harmful to ourselves and to others. 109 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 1: Of that three part process, I say, grounding or centering, 110 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:07,479 Speaker 1: like than doing the work of journaling, reflecting, and then 111 00:07:07,720 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: affirming yourself and working on self compassion is the way 112 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: to go. So can you say more about like why 113 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,080 Speaker 1: this work can be really difficult for people, Like what 114 00:07:18,200 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: kinds of things typically come up and make this process 115 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 1: a little more dauncing. Yeah, I think there's so much. 116 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: And I also have to say this, I think in 117 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:32,239 Speaker 1: some ways most mental health professionals are shadow workers, whether 118 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: they take on that moniker or not, right, because it's 119 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: about a lot of times we're trying to help people, 120 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 1: not always, but a lot of times we're trying to 121 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 1: help people get insight, which is sort of looking beyond 122 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: what they have been able to look at so far. 123 00:07:46,240 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: And I think with that, like once you sort of 124 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: look behind the curtain, so to speak, like there are 125 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: things that come up that are really uncomfortable. Right, Like 126 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: if you think of yourself as a compassion it or 127 00:08:01,360 --> 00:08:06,160 Speaker 1: thoughtful person. Yet you realize that you have the real 128 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: capacity to have these sort of aggressive impulses. Right then 129 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 1: being able to like seeing that and feeling that can 130 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: be really hard because it really challenges the idea of 131 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: how you see yourself. And so I'll give a personal example, 132 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: which happens a lot in New York City because that's 133 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:31,000 Speaker 1: where I live. I consider myself a pretty conflict diverse person. 134 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: I don't like arguments. It's just like not my jam. 135 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: I grew up in a house that was very calm, 136 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 1: probably too calm, right, and so I really avoid that. 137 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: But if I'm on the subway right and someone steps 138 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 1: on my foot, my first impulse, the first thought I 139 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: have is like I want to push or punch this person, 140 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,920 Speaker 1: whether they intended to do it or not. Right, that's 141 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: my immediate sceral impulse is like defend, even though I 142 00:09:03,559 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 1: know better, even though I know it's crowded, maybe like 143 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 1: they weren't paying attention, like whatever the rationalities. That's my 144 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: visceral impulse. But that's not how I live my life. 145 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: I've never done it. I don't really want to do it, right, 146 00:09:16,800 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: but that impulse comes up for me and to me, 147 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 1: that's something that's so baseline shadow that, like I feel 148 00:09:23,640 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 1: that no matter what I do. So instead of judging 149 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: myself and then saying, oh, like you are a horrible, 150 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: violent person, what you really want to do is just 151 00:09:31,720 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: hurt the people around you. You wanna take advantage of 152 00:09:35,120 --> 00:09:37,480 Speaker 1: your size in these ways, and you want to punish 153 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 1: someone and make myself feel bad for that, I can 154 00:09:40,640 --> 00:09:45,000 Speaker 1: say instead, I'm having this reaction. It's because someone did 155 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,320 Speaker 1: something that pained me or hurt me. How do I 156 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,640 Speaker 1: actually want to respond. It's okay that I'm having that reaction, 157 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,160 Speaker 1: it's not okay to do it, So then how do 158 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: I keep myself from doing it? I can accept that, 159 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: like that impulse comes up, that those you links come up, 160 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: and I can say, Okay, maybe a lot of people 161 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,880 Speaker 1: might have the same vistal reaction, but there's something about 162 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 1: it that keeps us from doing that. So maybe I'm 163 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,880 Speaker 1: like everyone else. Maybe I'm okay. Actually, maybe I'm not 164 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: an evil, horrible person who wants to harm other people. 165 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: Maybe it's just a reaction and that I can live 166 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 1: with myself with that. And so that's kind of the 167 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: idea of like it may bring up these feelings or 168 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: things that don't feel great and really challenge how we 169 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: see ourselves. And so that's why their compassion piece is 170 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: so important. So what would be the purpose drill of 171 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:40,280 Speaker 1: like learning that about yourself, like learning that you have 172 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,319 Speaker 1: this impulse even though you wouldn't act on it. How 173 00:10:43,400 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: might it be helpful to know if you did shadow 174 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: work and came up with this conclusion, which just sounds 175 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: like maybe you have How is this information helpful to you? Like, 176 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,320 Speaker 1: how do you use it? Well? I think the way 177 00:10:54,360 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: that it's really helpful is that if you understand this 178 00:10:57,920 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: about yourself. And I think this is what was also 179 00:11:00,000 --> 00:11:06,040 Speaker 1: Owns theory right about integration and individual ation, which basically 180 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:08,640 Speaker 1: means if you come to understand that you have the 181 00:11:08,679 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 1: capacity for these darker, more difficult feelings, thoughts, behaviors, et cetera, 182 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: if you can accept that maybe that fantasy exists in 183 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,400 Speaker 1: which you'd like to like push the person who stepped 184 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:25,320 Speaker 1: on your shoe. If you can accept that, then it 185 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,840 Speaker 1: actually reduces the likelihood that you're going to act out 186 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:31,079 Speaker 1: on that fantasy because you realize it's just a fantasy, 187 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 1: and everyone has that kind of fantasy. Most people aren't 188 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 1: going around hitting people, right even if you can do 189 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,480 Speaker 1: that with the other emotional pieces too. If you get 190 00:11:41,520 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: into an argument with your partner and you have this 191 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:46,800 Speaker 1: moment where you're like, I'm going to say the thing 192 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: that I know it's going to be anything that's going 193 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:52,920 Speaker 1: to hurt them, I'm gonna go for it because I 194 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: want them to hurt as much as I hurt. Right now, 195 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: that's also shadow, and so if you can integrate that, 196 00:11:58,840 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: if you can say, like that comes up, then maybe 197 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:03,960 Speaker 1: that's something you can keep yourself from doing. Even in 198 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 1: those moments too, you can say, oh, I'm feeling really 199 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:11,600 Speaker 1: hurt right now, I'm feeling this impulse to hurt you back, 200 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,840 Speaker 1: and I'm trying to stop myself. So maybe we need 201 00:12:14,880 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: to take a break here. And it can be helpful 202 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 1: in so many different areas of life so that things 203 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: don't escalate, even if we're not talking about like physical 204 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: aggression and violence. M hm. So you know you likened 205 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,719 Speaker 1: it early on to kind of Freud's concept of the subconscious, 206 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 1: and so you know, Young's work is really looking at 207 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:34,920 Speaker 1: like our shadow and these things that we want to 208 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,600 Speaker 1: repress about ourselves, like we don't even want to acknowledge 209 00:12:37,679 --> 00:12:40,960 Speaker 1: this to you know, to ourselves and other people. Why 210 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: do you think we work so hard to repress some 211 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,439 Speaker 1: of these pieces? One, I think that it's natural, right, 212 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: And so, you know, if we go back to, you know, 213 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: some of those old school theories about psychology, is that 214 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:56,680 Speaker 1: we have these innate sort of defense mechanisms that help 215 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: us protect ourselves from difficult feelings, from painful emotional experiences, 216 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 1: et cetera. So, in part, I think that it's natural, 217 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: and I think that it's really difficult for people to 218 00:13:09,480 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: sit with negative emotions in general. Right. I think that's 219 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: in part because we have these natural defense mechanisms. But 220 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,719 Speaker 1: I also think that there's a lot of social messaging 221 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:24,320 Speaker 1: that we get about how to respond to our emotions. 222 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: So I think there's a lot of pressure out there 223 00:13:27,080 --> 00:13:31,680 Speaker 1: to be positive, to be a good person, to have 224 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:35,480 Speaker 1: the like these certain kind of values. And so if 225 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: you start to understand that there are parts of yourself 226 00:13:39,120 --> 00:13:43,560 Speaker 1: that don't fit completely within those values, it's hard to 227 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:46,680 Speaker 1: look at that. It's hard to face that. And so 228 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 1: I think a lot of times we don't want to 229 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: do that work of looking at ourselves more deeply, because 230 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: not only does it challenge how we see ourselves. It 231 00:13:55,880 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: may challenge how other people see us too, And so 232 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:03,960 Speaker 1: then you're getting into the social status, like how you 233 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: show up in the world, how people will respond to 234 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: you if they knew this sort of like ugleer hidden 235 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:13,400 Speaker 1: side of you. And so I think that's a lot 236 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 1: of what keeps people from doing that deeper work is 237 00:14:16,200 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: that it is scary. It is scary to face that. 238 00:14:21,080 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: So I feel like a compliment too. Shadow work is 239 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: often inner child work. Is that similar or what is 240 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:32,600 Speaker 1: like the connection between inner child work and shadow work. Yeah, 241 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: that's a good question, especially because so many people are 242 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:39,360 Speaker 1: sort of talking about inner child work now. I tend 243 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: to frame it as inner child work is or and 244 00:14:42,680 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 1: or can be a part of shadow work, insomuch that 245 00:14:47,480 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: the things that we experience when we are younger very 246 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: easily can become repressed, right because we don't have the 247 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: sort of skills to really deal with him when we're eight, nine, ten. 248 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: So I like to think of like inner child work 249 00:15:02,000 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: as being a part of shadow work. But obviously you 250 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: can engage with your inner child in any form of therapy. 251 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,640 Speaker 1: But I tend to think that, like, since repression comes 252 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: so easily, for us as children, not easily, but maybe 253 00:15:18,800 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 1: a bit more automatically as children. It really makes it 254 00:15:23,040 --> 00:15:26,000 Speaker 1: an inner child. Work is really fertile ground for shadow 255 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: work because repression and denial or extreme compartmentalizing is a 256 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,760 Speaker 1: hallmark of shadow work. Right. It's like all of pushing 257 00:15:34,760 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: all that stuff to the back corner of your mind 258 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: and you never really look at it. And so I 259 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:43,040 Speaker 1: think that shadow work can offer this sort of a 260 00:15:43,080 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: good healthy space to engage with those things that have 261 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,680 Speaker 1: happened in your younger years that maybe you haven't thought 262 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 1: so much about as an adult or as someone who's 263 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: grown up a bit more m more from my conversation 264 00:15:56,240 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 1: with Drill after the break, So I want to read 265 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: a quote from the book that really stood out. So 266 00:16:12,720 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: you said, many people think that the shadow self is 267 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:18,520 Speaker 1: all about the hidden, dark and scary material of our lives. 268 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 1: While the shadow is the holding space for that kind 269 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,560 Speaker 1: of material, it also holds personal gifts and talents that 270 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 1: have since been tarnished in your mind. Can you say 271 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: more about the gifts and talents piece? Yeah. Also, it's 272 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:32,840 Speaker 1: so weird to have your words right back to you. 273 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:35,880 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, yeah, I did write that that that 274 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: sounds all right, I can't say that, um, And I 275 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:42,160 Speaker 1: think this is a good follow up from the Inner 276 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:46,960 Speaker 1: Child pieces that anything that is deemed socially unacceptable is 277 00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:49,760 Speaker 1: also right to be hidden in the shadow, and so 278 00:16:49,880 --> 00:16:53,400 Speaker 1: that social response can be like the greater culture, it 279 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,520 Speaker 1: could also be in your immediate family and caregivers and 280 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: that sort of thing, and so many of us, especially 281 00:17:00,520 --> 00:17:04,600 Speaker 1: if you're more creative, right, I don't know. I'm also 282 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:08,119 Speaker 1: a black man who grew up in the Bible belt 283 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: of North Carolina, and so being creative, right, wanting to write, 284 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: wanting to do things that weren't athletic and that sort 285 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:24,639 Speaker 1: of thing were problems. They're like no, media family was 286 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: kind of fine, but like the greater social mentioning was 287 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,679 Speaker 1: very clear, like no, you should be doing these other things. 288 00:17:31,640 --> 00:17:34,160 Speaker 1: And as a result, like those ideas of the things 289 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: I wanted to do kind of got pushed to the 290 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 1: side a lot, right, and I kind of forgot about them. 291 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:43,959 Speaker 1: And so this idea of in the shadow, there can 292 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: also be these really awesome things about you that you 293 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:53,000 Speaker 1: just received messaging about was not okay, that was inappropriate, 294 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: or you should be focusing on something else. Those things 295 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,480 Speaker 1: get repressed too, and so shadow work can really help 296 00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 1: you reconnect with those parts of yourself so that you 297 00:18:04,119 --> 00:18:07,640 Speaker 1: now as an adult, have the active choice of like, 298 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: who do I want to be with this talent? Now? 299 00:18:10,840 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: Who do I want to be with this gift? Who 300 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: do I want to be with this personality, trait or 301 00:18:15,880 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 1: part of myself? Could that actually be okay? And so, yeah, 302 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:24,040 Speaker 1: I think that we talk about the shadow a lot 303 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:27,840 Speaker 1: and about what's sort of dark and scary and aggressive, 304 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,800 Speaker 1: but there are also really beautiful things there too, And 305 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 1: I think that being able to work through the sort 306 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:39,600 Speaker 1: of barriers, the language, the messaging, to find out and 307 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:45,120 Speaker 1: reconnect with what makes you you, there's a really important 308 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:49,560 Speaker 1: facet of shadow work too. M. Yeah, can you share 309 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: any like journal prompts that maybe you shared in this 310 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: one or the book for particularly for touching on some 311 00:18:55,359 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 1: of this like early childhood stuff that we may have 312 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 1: kind of connection with. So in talking about connecting with 313 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,320 Speaker 1: hidden gifts or talents, like one of the prompts that's 314 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:09,959 Speaker 1: offered in the book is well, the prompts are designed 315 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:13,240 Speaker 1: to help you sort of discover what the gifts might be, 316 00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: but also discover what the barriers have been. So It 317 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:20,679 Speaker 1: starts off with like, what gifts or traits did you 318 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: have when you were younger that you've lost contact with? 319 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:26,199 Speaker 1: What were they? Right? So, what were the things that 320 00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:28,679 Speaker 1: really made childhood great for you? What things were you 321 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: interested in? How did you see the world then that 322 00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: maybe you felt like you've lost contact with, and then exploring, well, 323 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,880 Speaker 1: what contributed to those barriers? What's made that distance persist 324 00:19:40,000 --> 00:19:43,199 Speaker 1: for so long? Right? Is it the social messaging? Is 325 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: that the family messaging? Is it preoccupation with other goals 326 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:50,160 Speaker 1: in your life? And then starting to think about, now, 327 00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: are there ways in which you can bring that back 328 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: into your life as an adult? How could that fit 329 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: into your life now? And getting people to think about 330 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: that inter ration piece of saying like I can bring 331 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: this this thing about me, maybe that's really inherently me 332 00:20:06,680 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: an inherent part of who I am. How can I 333 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:13,360 Speaker 1: bring that forward again? Because maybe it's okay now now 334 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: that I have the choice, maybe I have more agency, 335 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 1: I have more strength to defend it. Do I want 336 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 1: to bring it forward now? And how do I want 337 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:22,919 Speaker 1: to make it a part of my life? And so 338 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:25,040 Speaker 1: it's those kind of questions and reflections that are in 339 00:20:25,080 --> 00:20:27,959 Speaker 1: the book. Yeah, and I really appreciate that. That sounds 340 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: like a very straightforward kind of a prompt. But when 341 00:20:30,640 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 1: you think about it, especially in the example that you 342 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 1: gave right, so, you know, these pieces of yourself that 343 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:38,720 Speaker 1: you couldn't connect with because of family pressure. Now as 344 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 1: an adult, if you're journaling on this, are writing to this, 345 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:44,480 Speaker 1: then you're also having to come to groups with well, 346 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: what other things did I learned from my family? And like, 347 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,160 Speaker 1: what kinds of messages have I internalized that maybe weren't 348 00:20:50,160 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 1: based on what I truly am interested in. That's absolutely 349 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: the point, right, And that's a really beautiful idea. I mean, 350 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: you know that as a mean or health pro is like, 351 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: that's a beautiful thing to offer to someone. It can 352 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:08,120 Speaker 1: also be scary because then you're like, oh, wait, did 353 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,960 Speaker 1: I waste time? Am I the person who actually want 354 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,800 Speaker 1: to be? Am I? Not? Like? What does this mean? 355 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: It brings up so many difficult feelings that you may 356 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: have to sort through. M So in the book, you 357 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:23,640 Speaker 1: also talked about attachment styles. Can you talk a little 358 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 1: bit about how attachment styles are connected to shadow work? Yeah? 359 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: I think that, And there's also a lot of conversation 360 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: about attachment these days. Sometimes too much uh to be honest. 361 00:21:36,359 --> 00:21:38,199 Speaker 1: But the reason why I felt it was important to 362 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,800 Speaker 1: include it in the book was the attachment that we 363 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: have with family primary caregivers when we're young really creates 364 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 1: narratives for us. So whether you really believe in attachment 365 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:55,000 Speaker 1: theory or like the specific categories or that sort of 366 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: thing is less important than the idea that those are 367 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:05,920 Speaker 1: relationships and those early experiences inform how we view relationships, right, 368 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:09,840 Speaker 1: and so they are likely ways in which every adult 369 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:14,199 Speaker 1: acts out some of the patterns that were present in 370 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:18,080 Speaker 1: their early life. When it comes to attachment and relationships, 371 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: that's our primary model for how we relate to the 372 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:24,439 Speaker 1: world outside of us. And if there are things in 373 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 1: our history that have been difficult for us as it 374 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:35,200 Speaker 1: relates to relationships early experiences, if we can reconnect with those, 375 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,400 Speaker 1: if we can give ourselves space to connect with whatever 376 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:42,360 Speaker 1: that hurt or that difficulty or that challenge was, then 377 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: we can actually start to heal it. Then we can 378 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,920 Speaker 1: create a new narrative. So then maybe it changes from 379 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: I don't know why I have a hard time trusting people. Two, 380 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:56,760 Speaker 1: I know why I have a hard time trusting people, 381 00:22:57,359 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: And this is something I'm going to work on and 382 00:23:00,119 --> 00:23:03,240 Speaker 1: bring to every relationship moving forward. And so that's why 383 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: I thought it was important to include some conversation about attachment. 384 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:09,919 Speaker 1: I don't know if you've had this experience. I've certainly 385 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:12,800 Speaker 1: had this experience of you forget a lot of the 386 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 1: details about childhood, these sort of little moments that have 387 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:23,199 Speaker 1: happened until something really random triggers it. It doesn't have 388 00:23:23,240 --> 00:23:25,919 Speaker 1: to be like traumatic, right. It could just be this 389 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: moment where you got like this very special toy, right, 390 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:33,840 Speaker 1: and that meant something, maybe admit something in the context 391 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,400 Speaker 1: of that relationship with that person, and you haven't thought 392 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:39,600 Speaker 1: about it for twenty thirty years, but maybe you see 393 00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:43,480 Speaker 1: the toy, that memory comes back, and then you sort 394 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:46,440 Speaker 1: of connect with this idea of like, oh, like why 395 00:23:46,560 --> 00:23:49,359 Speaker 1: was that thing so important? Why was that moment so important? 396 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: There's probably something there that you don't consciously think about 397 00:23:53,640 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: most days, and you probably shouldn't think about every day, right, 398 00:23:56,720 --> 00:24:00,080 Speaker 1: But there's something there that if you uncover it, it 399 00:24:00,160 --> 00:24:05,320 Speaker 1: probably has some meaning and informs how your relationships move now. Yeah, 400 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,240 Speaker 1: and I can definitely see, you know, kind of based 401 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: on like you said, the theories of attachment and thinking 402 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:13,560 Speaker 1: about like our very early childhood experiences, like I feel 403 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 1: like those are ripe for shadow work, right, Like the 404 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,720 Speaker 1: the idea that because of whatever connection or lack of 405 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: connection you maybe had with early caregivers, this is how 406 00:24:22,359 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: you now show up in relationships. I can imagine that 407 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 1: there's like a lot of shadow work that can sometimes 408 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 1: need to be done there for sure. And I think 409 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:33,159 Speaker 1: it's just like you said, it's right, material and information 410 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 1: and why not make use of those things and the 411 00:24:37,520 --> 00:24:41,480 Speaker 1: ideas moving something from just a memory or a potential 412 00:24:41,520 --> 00:24:45,880 Speaker 1: liability to something that you can use productively and progressively 413 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 1: in your life moving forward. Right, So what do you 414 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:51,360 Speaker 1: feel like are some of the most common misconceptions about 415 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:56,080 Speaker 1: shadow work? M hmm. It's kind of funny because I 416 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: don't think there are a lot of misconceptions about shadow work, 417 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:01,919 Speaker 1: because I don't think a lot of people even know 418 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:06,800 Speaker 1: what it is, to be honest, So there's that. But 419 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 1: by extension of that, I think that people don't think 420 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,719 Speaker 1: that it can be helpful because it requires and we 421 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 1: hear this argument sometimes about therapy in and of itself too. 422 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:18,720 Speaker 1: It's it's like, oh, if you're looking back or you're 423 00:25:18,760 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: looking into these deep things, right, like, I'm fine, I'm 424 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:25,359 Speaker 1: going to work, I have this relationship, I'm doing whatever. 425 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:29,320 Speaker 1: I'm fine. Things are okay on my end. So I 426 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: think there's this idea that shadow work and really any 427 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:38,000 Speaker 1: personal development work isn't necessary or can't be helpful. And 428 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:43,399 Speaker 1: my response to that is you can certainly go about 429 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 1: life and whatever sort of like fashion or level feels 430 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:50,679 Speaker 1: right for you. That's not the point of anything that 431 00:25:50,720 --> 00:25:52,920 Speaker 1: I offer is to say that you're wrong. I think 432 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 1: the idea is that, whether it's with shadow work or 433 00:25:55,760 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: anything else, is that if you want to have deeper insight, 434 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 1: if you want to look at yourself from a different lens, 435 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:08,440 Speaker 1: if you want to have support and in exploring yourself 436 00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:12,399 Speaker 1: in a way that creates a life that really feels 437 00:26:12,400 --> 00:26:16,399 Speaker 1: aligned for you, then this is why this work can 438 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:20,320 Speaker 1: be valuable. This is why it can be helpful. More 439 00:26:20,359 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: from my conversation with Darrell after the break, you mentioned 440 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:34,840 Speaker 1: earlier that you feel like a lot of therapists do 441 00:26:34,920 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: shadow work, whether we call it that or not. How 442 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: are you envisioning perhaps therapists either using this with their clients, 443 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:45,879 Speaker 1: or clients maybe bringing the workbook to their sessions and 444 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:48,639 Speaker 1: using and how are you envisioning that. Yeah, that's a 445 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,400 Speaker 1: good question. I think it's both. And what's really interesting 446 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 1: about this is that it's entry based. Right. You pick 447 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: out a topic or a theme that you want to 448 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:00,479 Speaker 1: look at, and that's how you can work with it. 449 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,679 Speaker 1: And so I've even used some of these prompts and 450 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: these sort of themes in my work with clients, and 451 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:09,879 Speaker 1: so usually like this is a good for therapists, like 452 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,399 Speaker 1: these are good homework activities. Right, So if you're trying 453 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: to peel back some exploration and have a client go 454 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:20,600 Speaker 1: further in thinking about something, this is a good entry 455 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:23,679 Speaker 1: point or a good way to deepen that conversation and 456 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,679 Speaker 1: then you can continue to explore it in session. And 457 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,439 Speaker 1: you know, the point of any at least to me, 458 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 1: a book like this is also that people have access 459 00:27:32,359 --> 00:27:36,919 Speaker 1: to do it themselves, right. They can if they feel comfortable, 460 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: they feel like they can sort of do this work 461 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 1: on their own, they can, right, they can buy the book, 462 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:46,440 Speaker 1: they can do the entries in a way that suits them, 463 00:27:46,520 --> 00:27:50,880 Speaker 1: and or they can also bring it to session. Clients 464 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 1: bring things to me all the time, say like I 465 00:27:53,000 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: saw this thing and like it made me think about this, 466 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 1: or like I saw it and I kind of felt 467 00:27:58,680 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 1: weird about it. Can we talk out it? That happens 468 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,879 Speaker 1: all the time, and so I think that something like 469 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:08,960 Speaker 1: this could also be really helpful in giving this sort of, 470 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:12,240 Speaker 1: like like I said, like an entry way into a 471 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:17,200 Speaker 1: deeper exploration that is less about what's happening in someone's 472 00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:20,120 Speaker 1: life day to day, but it's more about the broader 473 00:28:20,160 --> 00:28:23,720 Speaker 1: themes and the deeper stories we have about ourselves. Darrell, 474 00:28:23,840 --> 00:28:28,240 Speaker 1: Are there any contraindications for shadow work? So is there 475 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 1: any reason why someone might not want to do shadow 476 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,320 Speaker 1: work maybe given what's going on in their lives any 477 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,919 Speaker 1: particular like mental health concerns. Are there any concerns that 478 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: you would want to kind of put out for people 479 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:44,080 Speaker 1: around doing shadow work. Yeah. Absolutely, I think first and foremost, 480 00:28:44,320 --> 00:28:50,520 Speaker 1: if someone is in any space of crisis, this is 481 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,840 Speaker 1: not the space for them to be doing this kind 482 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 1: of work. So that's number one. Another one, which I 483 00:28:56,640 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 1: mentioned briefly in the book, is it could be really 484 00:29:00,120 --> 00:29:04,959 Speaker 1: difficult for people who are struggling actively struggling with depression 485 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: and like severe depression to do some of this work because, 486 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: like we mentioned earlier, it reveals some of the negative 487 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:19,240 Speaker 1: things that we think about ourselves and my experiences is 488 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:23,920 Speaker 1: that people with really severe depression have no trouble doing that. 489 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:27,280 Speaker 1: That's often the problem is that they're overly identified with 490 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:29,920 Speaker 1: the parts of themselves that maybe aren't as good or 491 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,360 Speaker 1: not as well. And so if someone is really in 492 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:36,200 Speaker 1: in a moment, maybe not of crisis, but in a 493 00:29:36,280 --> 00:29:39,520 Speaker 1: deep depression, really struggling, I would say this is not 494 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 1: the time to do this work, Like wait until you 495 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 1: feel a lot more centered, a lot more grounded, and 496 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 1: where you feel a lot more secure, until you sort 497 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,600 Speaker 1: of get into this because it's just going to reinforce 498 00:29:51,720 --> 00:29:54,920 Speaker 1: maybe some of those negative stories, because it lends itself 499 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: to those, like we said, darker thoughts, darker feelings, and 500 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: if you're aready struggling with that, you don't need more. 501 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,960 Speaker 1: So just wait on it. I appreciate you sharing it. 502 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 1: Aren't there particular experiences or stressors in our lives that 503 00:30:10,640 --> 00:30:13,560 Speaker 1: kind of forced us to deal with our shadow self? 504 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: Mm hmm, yeah, I mean I think there's so many 505 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: I'll share from a personal experience. In one of the 506 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: entries in this book was like there was a very 507 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: meta process happening for me. So one of the entries 508 00:30:26,680 --> 00:30:29,280 Speaker 1: is about this idea of sort of leveling up and 509 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,720 Speaker 1: like in your career or your personal life in some 510 00:30:31,760 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: way sort of like facing another challenge. And so for 511 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:39,400 Speaker 1: me as I was writing this book was that for me, 512 00:30:40,280 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 1: it brought up all this other stuff from my own shadow, 513 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:46,280 Speaker 1: and I'm like, I'm good, I feel confident in my work. 514 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,760 Speaker 1: I know what I'm doing. Yes, I still try and 515 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: learn all the time, but like I feel settled and 516 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 1: grounded in that. And then all of a sudden, the 517 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:57,480 Speaker 1: prospect that this book was gonna happen came up, and 518 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:03,960 Speaker 1: all these old stories came back of like, really, you're 519 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,080 Speaker 1: gonna do this? Do you think you can do this? 520 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 1: Why would you be the one to do this? Someone 521 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: else will be better to write this book. You should 522 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:14,800 Speaker 1: probably not take this risk. And so you know, rising 523 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:17,840 Speaker 1: to a new challenge can certainly bring about sort of 524 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:21,520 Speaker 1: like shadow or sort of subconscious material to the surface. 525 00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 1: And that's a really good thing, right, It's a beautiful 526 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:28,880 Speaker 1: thing that I've been able to contribute in this way. 527 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:32,240 Speaker 1: But it was hard for that reason. So that's an example. 528 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: I think any period of major change can be super revealing. 529 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:41,120 Speaker 1: And I often think about it as like, sometimes when 530 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:45,160 Speaker 1: we are really jostled or like shaken. That's a moment 531 00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:47,600 Speaker 1: where there can be a lot of learning. It can 532 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,360 Speaker 1: be very revealing to us. So I think for a 533 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:53,800 Speaker 1: lot of people, this is something that happened throughout the pandemic, 534 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: Like this big, huge thing happened, and people are like, Oh, 535 00:31:58,200 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: maybe I'm not okay. Actually maybe I don't like the 536 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: life I've been living. Actually maybe I don't like this job, 537 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:06,560 Speaker 1: Maybe I don't like this partner, Maybe I don't like 538 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:10,080 Speaker 1: where I'm living. What if I've been doing? You know, 539 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:13,240 Speaker 1: I've certainly seen people making a lot of changes because 540 00:32:13,280 --> 00:32:16,640 Speaker 1: they were faced with this sort of kind of existential crisis, 541 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 1: and so it made them pull back that veil on 542 00:32:20,000 --> 00:32:23,719 Speaker 1: themselves just said like, oh, I've actually been feeling this 543 00:32:23,760 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 1: way for a while now, I just never connected to it. 544 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: I never paid attention to it. Now what do I 545 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:31,520 Speaker 1: want to do with it? So a couple of things 546 00:32:31,520 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: you'rell I feel like you just gave me the material 547 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: for my own therapy session as I'm also in the 548 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:40,640 Speaker 1: book writing process and feeling like I identified very much 549 00:32:40,720 --> 00:32:43,120 Speaker 1: with what you're sharing, right, Like just this idea that 550 00:32:43,560 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 1: you're doing this new thing that like stretches you in 551 00:32:45,840 --> 00:32:49,320 Speaker 1: ways that you could not have imagined. So one that 552 00:32:49,800 --> 00:32:52,440 Speaker 1: and you know, I also think there's something about like 553 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 1: just getting rid of all of the business that was 554 00:32:55,160 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: happening in our lives when we had the first lockdown, 555 00:32:58,000 --> 00:33:00,360 Speaker 1: so to speak. Like I think that they're just people 556 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: to have more space and more stillness to kind of 557 00:33:02,800 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 1: think through some of these things that you just typically 558 00:33:04,600 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 1: don't because you're running from thing to thing. Yeah. Absolutely, 559 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:13,080 Speaker 1: Like busy and hustle culture, it certainly keeps us from 560 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: ourselves in a lot of ways. Yeah, And I've been 561 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:18,840 Speaker 1: having so many conversations both professionally and personally about like 562 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 1: people really redefining how they want to spend their time, 563 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: what's important to them, all of that stuff. So yeah, absolutely, 564 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,080 Speaker 1: So how did you decide that this was the book? 565 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: I mean, you talked a little bit earlier about feeling 566 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:35,040 Speaker 1: like it was very timely, which I agree with. But 567 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: you do so many different things. I've heard you talk 568 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 1: about lots of different topics. So how did you kind 569 00:33:39,520 --> 00:33:41,960 Speaker 1: of narrow in on shadow work? Is the thing you 570 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: wanted to have your first book be about. It's a 571 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:49,120 Speaker 1: funny question because it actually was not my idea this 572 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:51,600 Speaker 1: is in terms of like this being the thing that 573 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 1: I was going to put out first. Essentially, what happened 574 00:33:54,880 --> 00:33:57,840 Speaker 1: was I had written and shared some information on the 575 00:33:57,880 --> 00:34:00,680 Speaker 1: idea before in an editor reach out to me and 576 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:03,040 Speaker 1: they said, hey, we think that something along these lines 577 00:34:03,080 --> 00:34:06,600 Speaker 1: could be really good for what we do and what 578 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:09,080 Speaker 1: we want to offer, Like what do you think. Let's 579 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,400 Speaker 1: have a conversation about it. And it was really in 580 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 1: that process where I said, Okay, so maybe this is 581 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 1: the thing, Maybe this is the start of another era 582 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:21,400 Speaker 1: of sharing information in a different way. And I'm honestly 583 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:29,480 Speaker 1: just really happy that it's this idea because I am 584 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:32,560 Speaker 1: so to the point of like these personality traits that 585 00:34:32,640 --> 00:34:35,319 Speaker 1: might be shadow kind of stuff. Ever since I was 586 00:34:35,480 --> 00:34:38,080 Speaker 1: very very young, I was called someone who was deep, 587 00:34:39,200 --> 00:34:41,080 Speaker 1: you know, and in early parts of my life it 588 00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:43,839 Speaker 1: was kind of a criticism. You know, it's kind of 589 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:46,960 Speaker 1: strange to be like a nine year old like what 590 00:34:47,040 --> 00:34:50,160 Speaker 1: does this all mean? But that like that's who I am, 591 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 1: right and and so you know, once we started having 592 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:57,680 Speaker 1: these conversations about the book, I said, this is a 593 00:34:57,760 --> 00:35:03,439 Speaker 1: really interesting opportunity to take people there and to really 594 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:06,120 Speaker 1: take it a step further, take the psychology stuff a 595 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,479 Speaker 1: bit further and say, all right, well, let's get into 596 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: the ugly a little bit. There's a lot of conversation 597 00:35:12,640 --> 00:35:18,120 Speaker 1: about positivity and all of those things in that realm. 598 00:35:18,239 --> 00:35:21,400 Speaker 1: Let's go the other way. Let's look at like, what's 599 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,640 Speaker 1: really sitting back there that you don't want to look at, 600 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:26,839 Speaker 1: what's been really hard for you, what's been the thing 601 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,560 Speaker 1: that's really hard for you to integrate and break out 602 00:35:29,560 --> 00:35:32,760 Speaker 1: of a pattern? Because maybe that's where you should be looking. 603 00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:36,479 Speaker 1: Let's shine some light there. And so it just really 604 00:35:36,520 --> 00:35:41,319 Speaker 1: aligned for me, and I'm really glad that it's sort 605 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:45,040 Speaker 1: of manifested in the way that it has. Yeah, I'm 606 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:47,040 Speaker 1: very excited too. I think people will get a lot 607 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:49,600 Speaker 1: of benefit from going through the exercise and then and 608 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:51,600 Speaker 1: really paying attention to the things that come up for 609 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 1: them as a result of working through the workbook. So 610 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,840 Speaker 1: you talked about affirmations, and I would love for you 611 00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:00,640 Speaker 1: to share maybe one or two affirmations that you can, 612 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:03,880 Speaker 1: you know, give our audience who may be interested in 613 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: maybe attempting the shadow work, but maybe feel a little 614 00:36:06,920 --> 00:36:09,800 Speaker 1: daunted by the process. I feel a little worried about 615 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:13,160 Speaker 1: starting the process. What affirmation or words of encouragement would 616 00:36:13,160 --> 00:36:17,600 Speaker 1: you give them? Sure? I guess I might say something like, 617 00:36:18,800 --> 00:36:22,120 Speaker 1: I can do the hard work at looking at myself. 618 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:26,720 Speaker 1: I can survive understanding the parts of myself that feel 619 00:36:26,719 --> 00:36:32,160 Speaker 1: difficult to look at. These parts of myself are part 620 00:36:32,200 --> 00:36:36,680 Speaker 1: of what makes me human. I think i'd start there's 621 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:40,000 Speaker 1: feel like a beautiful story. So where can we get 622 00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 1: the book? Derill? When is the book coming out? The 623 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:46,200 Speaker 1: book is out on septem so very soon. So you're 624 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:53,120 Speaker 1: like in launch lad, I'm right in the middle of it. Yes, 625 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:57,560 Speaker 1: So the book is available wherever books are sold, you know, 626 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:00,200 Speaker 1: so wherever you feel most comfortable. I really want to 627 00:37:00,280 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: encourage people to support independent bookstores if you can. I 628 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 1: have a bookshop page myself, so if you want to 629 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:09,920 Speaker 1: purchase it there That is an affiliate link. But really, 630 00:37:10,239 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: any major stores Amazon, Target, Walmart going to carry it. 631 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:17,399 Speaker 1: It's wherever you can get your books, and so if 632 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:21,080 Speaker 1: it's not at your local bookstore, also call them, send 633 00:37:21,120 --> 00:37:22,919 Speaker 1: an email and say like, hey, I think you should 634 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:25,239 Speaker 1: order this book. I think that our community would really 635 00:37:25,280 --> 00:37:28,680 Speaker 1: like it. That'd be awesome. Absolutely, And where can we 636 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:31,439 Speaker 1: stay connected with you? Jeril? So what's your website as well? 637 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:34,160 Speaker 1: As any social media handles you'd like to share, sure, 638 00:37:34,360 --> 00:37:37,759 Speaker 1: so you can find me all over because I tend 639 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:40,759 Speaker 1: to do many things. So I'm on Twitter and Instagram 640 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:43,960 Speaker 1: mostly at Darrell kind of Bio. So that's j O 641 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:47,840 Speaker 1: R E l c A R A b A L 642 00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:53,120 Speaker 1: l Oh on Twitter and Instagram. My website is Darrell 643 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:57,239 Speaker 1: kind of Bio dot com. Also, my business is Viva 644 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: Mental Health and that's to handle on Twitter and instag 645 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: him as well. So that's a therapy practice I co 646 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:05,560 Speaker 1: founded with my business partner and friend, and we are 647 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:10,799 Speaker 1: in New York, Pennsylvania, and California. We have offices so 648 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:13,200 Speaker 1: if you're also looking for support and therapy, you can 649 00:38:13,239 --> 00:38:16,120 Speaker 1: find out some information there too. Perfect well, thank you 650 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 1: so much for sharing with us to day, Jarel I 651 00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,600 Speaker 1: really appreciate it. Thank you for the time, and thank 652 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:26,239 Speaker 1: you for having me. Absolutely. I'm so glad Jarell was 653 00:38:26,280 --> 00:38:29,080 Speaker 1: able to share his expertise with us today. To learn 654 00:38:29,160 --> 00:38:31,360 Speaker 1: more about him and to grab your copy of the 655 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:34,400 Speaker 1: shadow Work workbook, visit the show notes at Therapy for 656 00:38:34,440 --> 00:38:37,919 Speaker 1: Black Girls dot com slash session to see and don't 657 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:39,960 Speaker 1: forget to text two of your girls and tell them 658 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:42,680 Speaker 1: to check out the episode right now. If you're looking 659 00:38:42,680 --> 00:38:45,440 Speaker 1: for a therapist in your area, check out our therapist 660 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 1: directory at Therapy for Black Girls dot com slash directory. 661 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:51,360 Speaker 1: And if you want to continue digging into this topic 662 00:38:51,520 --> 00:38:54,160 Speaker 1: or just be in community with other sisters, come on 663 00:38:54,239 --> 00:38:56,520 Speaker 1: over and join us in the Sister Circle. It's our 664 00:38:56,560 --> 00:38:59,200 Speaker 1: cozy corner of the Internet design just for black women. 665 00:38:59,640 --> 00:39:01,960 Speaker 1: You can joined us at community that Therapy for Black 666 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:05,680 Speaker 1: Girls dot com. This episode was produced by Freda Lucas 667 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:09,080 Speaker 1: and Elise Ellis and editing was done by Dennis and Bradford. 668 00:39:09,480 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 1: Thank you all so much for joining me again this week. 669 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,720 Speaker 1: I look forward to continuing this conversation with you all 670 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:16,919 Speaker 1: real soon. Take good care,