Women’s experiences of shame while seeking care for complex trauma: Towards shame-sensitive practice

Abstract Recent scholarship advocates for ‘shame-sensitive practice’ as an evolution of trauma-informed practice, recognizing shame as a key emotional component of trauma. This approach aims to prevent and address shame in clinical and service interactions with traumatized individuals. However, there is limited empirical research on how traumatized people experience shame in service interactions. This article explores the shame-related experiences of nineteen women living with complex trauma and engaged in help-seeking in New South Wales, Australia. The article presents a thematic analysis of the women’s experiences, highlighting the interplay between the traumatic shame of interpersonal violence, the structural shame embedded in service systems that fail to accommodate complex trauma, and both direct and indirect shame in service encounters. The article concludes by discussing the implications of the study for shame-sensitive and dignity-affirming practice.