Ethics, Exposure, and the Phenomenology of Shame: Integrating Psychoanalytic, Existential, and Queer Perspectives in Clinical Practice

Christian Schulz-Quach Shame is a central, yet under-explored, affect in psychoanalytic theory and practice. This paper critically examines the phenomenology of shame through classical Freudian, Modern Psychoanalysis, existential-phenomenological, and queer theoretical frameworks. Drawing on psychoanalytic and neuroscientific evidence, I highlight the early developmental and relational roots of shame, as well as its enduring presence in the context of trauma and minority stress. Special emphasis is placed on the distinctive qualities of queer shame and its relational, social, and systemic dimensions. Clinically, shame emerges not only as a powerful and overwhelming affect but also as a force that can profoundly disrupt the therapeutic process for both patient and analyst. Its intensity often evokes defensive patterns, impasses, and ruptures in the analytic relationship, challenging the safety, trust, and mutual engagement within the therapeutic space. The emotional contagion of shame can lead to avoidance, withdrawal, or enactments, requiring both participants to navigate moments of acute vulnerability and exposure. Attending to these dynamics, the paper explores the ethical conditions necessary for a meaningful and transformative engagement with shame, focusing on values such as non-maleficence, dignity, acceptance of identity, safety, fairness, and accountability within the analytic encounter. By integrating these perspectives, I propose a model for working with shame in psychoanalytic psychotherapy that is sensitive to ethical, existential, and identity-based considerations, while also attentive to the ways in which shame’s disruptive force must be both tolerated and thoughtfully contained. Theoretical reflections are grounded in a detailed clinical vignette, illustrating the transformative possibilities—and challenges—of analytic work with shame. The paper concludes with recommendations for psychoanalytic ethics that honor the vulnerability and complexity of shame, particularly in diverse and marginalized populations.