THE UNSHAMING WAY

Opening the Body and Mind to Self-love and Wholeness

— Extended Weekend Workshop —

May 9th, 10th & 11th | Vienna

with David Bedrick & Lisa Blair

ABOUT THE EVENT:

Friday, May 9th: 5pm - 7pm with David
Saturday, May 10th: 10am – 5pm with David
Sunday, May 11th: 10am – 5pm with David & Lisa

Location: Raum für Interaktion
Address: Obere Donaustraße
43/Stiege 1, 1020 Wien 

Why take this workshop?

  • You yearn for the fullness and wholeness of your true self.

  •  You want to express the entirety of your emotional life, embracing both your vulnerability and tenderness as well as your fire and fierceness.

  •  Earlier trauma or past generational trauma has left you freezing, fawning, or repeating patterns in your life that are not fruitful.

  •  You want your aliveness untethered, unchained, from early traumatic stories.

  •  You want to unburden yourself of self-doubt, self-criticism, fears, and self-hatred.

  •  You know there’s a deeper, and more self-loving way to work on yourself.

  •  You are hungry for more fulfilling relationships—ones that are free from cultural norms, social oppressions, and childhood patterns.

  •  You have worked on yourself for years, made important steps, but don’t feel fully at home in yourself and your relationships.

  •  You are ready to go beyond relieving and releasing your problems and tear open the pain of your story to reveal your true heart.

  •  You want to watch David model the unshaming way so you can envision another way of building relationship with yourself and your healing path.

You are prepared to immerse yourself in a weekend of
unraveling what is old and ready to die while
awakening the new life that you know awaits.

Our lives are truncated, cut off from the source of deep trust when violence happens to us early and it’s not witnessed—meaning, it is either denied, neglected, or gaslighted.

When this happens, we not only learn to thoroughly distrust our experience and, therefore, need others or an outer authority to validate what our bodies and instincts know, but we also internalize the gaslighting and denial, leading us to one inexorable question:

“What’s wrong with me?”

 In this way, we move from early trauma or violence that occurred generations before we were born, to a misalignment with our purpose,  a disconnection from our bodies and feelings, and a healing path that tries to fix, relieve, or even eliminate the difficulties that we suffer from.  The tragedy: Within those difficulties lies the medicine for our wounds, the path of our lives, the intelligence of our feelings, and the very atonement we have learned to live without.

Friday Evening:

The Unshaming Way:
Shame, Trauma & Somatic Experience

 The practice of unshaming begins Friday night when you’ll be introduced to the stories, trauma, and shame that resonate with us all.

We’ll analyze several cases as we define the terms of shame and help you reflect on your own shaming experience.

You’ll learn the fundamental unshaming tools—radical somatic interventions. These go beyond somatic experience, feeling the body’s sensory experience, to include its impulses to move and dance, and to use resonance and tone in our voices. You’ll learn how to use these pathways of expression and connection throughout the rest of the seminar.

SPECIAL NOTE: If you can’t attend on Friday evening, please watch the Foundations of Unshaming Training video, which you will receive free access to upon registering before the workshop, to familiarize yourself with David’s unshaming approach.

“David Bedrick is a gentle warrior. His methodology is phenomenal. The most kind, soft, powerful vehicle I’ve ever encountered to heal trauma and release shame. I wish everyone would adopt this way of helping people through pain. Known and unknown.”

— Sue

Saturday:

Shame and Inner Violence

MORNING: Inner Criticism and Internalized Oppression

On day two, we’ll explore the world of your inner violence—the inner criticism and internalized oppression that perpetuates the violence that you’ve experienced.

You’ll  discover how to lift those voices from their hiding places so they can be witnessed and seen, and then learn the skills involved in expressing your response to those voices—a response you were forbidden or too frightened to express earlier in your life.

 This work is foundational in beginning to trust ourselves, as trust must begin where we were injured and weren’t adequately seen or believed. This restores our essential self-trust, which occurs when we believe that we’re being mistreated or harmed.

AFTERNOON: Abuse and Trauma

 In the second part of the day, we will delve deeper into the material, addressing issues related to abuse and trauma by breaking down these forms of violence into their component parts.

 These parts include power differences, our freedom to consent, our ability to defend ourselves, and the the hurt that lives inside of us. For many of you, this will be the first time you’ll awaken to the truth and fullness of your story.

We’ll then look at dealing with issues of dissociation and finding the powers and allies, in spirit and in self, that you needed earlier and that you need now for a fulfilling and loving life today.

“Thank you for helping me see myself, my story, with a brighter, more empathetic and humane lense. Your course on shame was profoundly transformative, leaving me with a renewed consciousness of the poetry of life.”

—Tatiana St-Louis

Sunday:

Embodying Your Shadow Selves in Relationship

MORNING: The Shadow in Relationships

On day three, you'll integrate your new understanding of yourself and apply these in your relational life.

You’ll learn to embrace and embody your shadow selves—those feelings, instincts, and impulses that you’re not free to live or don’t even know live inside of you. When shadow parts are not lived, they create distrust and conflict. When they are embodied, they awaken your power, gifts, and emotional intelligence, creating greater intimacy and more aliveness in your relationships.

You’ll learn how your mixed messages create conflict and use explore somatic experience as a doorway to expressing these shadows in relationship.

AFTERNOON: Hot Spots and the Roots of Recurring Conflict

In this part of day three, you’ll learn the sacred art of “relational mindfulness”—a relational state of being that does not seek to get rid of issues, but instead slows things down in a way that reveals the root of those difficulties, allowing a deep intimacy to be discovered and practiced.

We’ll use relational mindfulness to explore your hotspots - those difficulties that cause you the most suffering and have the greatest potential for deepening your intimacy. 

David and Lisa will guide you through those difficulties and model ways of relating that don’t involve you suppressing yourself, or trying to do the “right” thing, but instead bring yourself forward in a loving, empowered safety.

“David and Lisa are the real deal—their wisdom will leave you speechless, touched, and fully yourself. Whatever you’ve learned about relationships, conflict, or growth pales in comparison to the lived wisdom they offer. They don’t pretend to be a ‘perfect’ couple; they are authentic, walking their talk and sharing from the heart. You’ll feel seen, recognized, and accepted—exactly as you are today.”

—Daniella

What People are Saying…

“Lisa and David truly are a perfect teaching duo.”
—Chloe

“David and Lisa’s work is medicine for my soul! Getting to see them teach together is totally game-changing! The alchemy between them is so beautiful to experience and puts everything I’m learning into a potent, palpable context. It feels like pieces of a puzzle coming together in my subconscious, and I am feeling grateful and excited. Thank you both!”
—Kori

“David and Lisa are such permission slips! I feel so much more freedom in my life—it’s beautiful! Their work is so powerful and transformative on a very deep level.”
—Fede

REGISTRATION DETAILS:

EARLY BIRD PRICING AVAILABLE UNTIL APRIL 25th.

Please note: Registration closes at 5pm CEST on Thursday, May 8th.
We will not be able to take registrations or payments on-site on the day of the workshop.

Prices are in USD.

Price: $635 USD  Early Bird (approx. €591)
$715 USD (€665) Regular Price (after Apr. 25)

UNSHAMING BONUS

As a bonus, we’re giving all registrants FREE access to David’s Foundations of Unshaming class - a 2 hour recorded training (regular $35).

If you can’t attend on Friday evening, please watch the Foundations of Unshaming Training video, which you will receive free access to upon registering before the workshop, to familiarize yourself with David’s unshaming approach.

FAQ’s

  1. I don’t know David or Lisa. What expertise do they bring to this topic?

    Both David and Lisa are Certified Process Work Diplomates who trained in Process-oriented Psychology under the tutelage of Drs. Arnold and Amy Mindell and colleagues. David has 35 years of clinical experience working with individuals and couples. He has written four books and is known internationally for his groundbreaking work on unshaming. His most recent book, titled The Unshaming Way, was published in November 2024 by North Atlantic Books and is already being translated into six different languages. David is honored to have received an endorsement for The Unshaming Way by international trauma expert, Dr. Gabor Maté.

    Lisa is a PhD Candidate whose expertise is in emotional intimacy in romantic partnerships. She is a published scholar in academic journals and books about love and intimacy. She also brings 16 years of clinical experience working with individuals and couples in private practice. Over the course of their 20+ year marriage, David and Lisa have developed their own unique approach to cultivating love and intimacy in relationships. They co-host the podcast In Two Deep, where they explore emotional intimacy, conflict, and connection. Please read their bios at the bottom of this page to learn more.

  2. Is lunch included in the registration price?

    No, lunch is not included in the price.

  3. How long is the lunch break? Are there cafes nearby to easily pick up lunch?

    You’ll have one (1) hour for lunch. Yes, there are a few restaurants within a 10-minute walk. For example: 

    Another option is to bring food and have a picnic on the banks of the Danube Canal (a 3 min. walk from the location).

  4. Is there any parking available near the location? 

    You can park on the streets of Vienna almost anywhere outside the 1st district. This event location is in the 2nd district, so on-street parking is available. Please allow extra time to park.

    • On Saturday & Sunday, on-street parking is free.

    • On Friday, you must pay between 9:00 and 22:00, but you can park for only 2 hours at most spots—this is the rule across Vienna. 

    • The closest garage is https://maps.app.goo.gl/RxvWsBMvbAZGNBBw8 and is a 10-minute walk away. 

  5. Is there public transportation that comes close to the location?

    Yes, it’s best to use Google Maps. Within walking distance of the location, there are the metro lines U2 and U4 and multiple tram lines (1, 2, 31, 71). Please allow extra time to walk from the metro station to the event location.

LOCATION

Location: Raum für Interaktion

Address: Obere Donaustraße 43/Stiege 1, 1020 Wien

 

Meet David

David Bedrick, JD, Dipl. PW, is a teacher, counselor, and attorney. He grew up in a family marked by violence. While his father’s brutality was physical and verbal, his mother’s denial and gaslighting had its own covert power. This formative context introduced David early to the etiology of shame and instilled an urge to unshame.

Professionally, he was on the faculty for the University of Phoenix and the Process Work Institute in the U.S. and Poland and is the founder of the Santa Fe Institute for Shame-based Studies where he trains therapists, coaches, and healers and offers workshops for individuals to further their own personal development.

David writes for Psychology Today and is the author of three books: Talking Back to Dr. Phil: Alternatives to Mainstream Psychology, Revisioning Activism: Bringing Depth, Dialogue, and Diversity to Individual and Social Change and You Can’t Judge a Body by Its Cover: 17 Women’s Stories of Hunger, Body Shame and Redemption.

His fourth book, The Unshaming Way, was just published by North Atlantic Books in 2024.

Meet Lisa

Lisa Blair, MA, Dipl. PW, is a scholar, a PhD candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and an International Women’s Consultant who coaches and teaches internationally, specializing in emotional intimacy. Her doctoral work explores redefining intimacy to address the unprecedented challenges romantic partners face in a postnormal world. Her research has been published in World Futures, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and the Second Edition of the International Handbook of Love. She and her husband, David Bedrick, co-host In Two Deep, a podcast about emotional intimacy, conflict, and connection from a depth psychological perspective. Lisa is also the publisher at Belly Song Press, a small independent press of nonfiction titles in psychology, social justice, and leadership. www.lisablair.com