Episode 25: Shadow Work 101: Exploring Our Dark Side with Alasdair Kirk

Shadow work refers to the psychological and emotional process of exploring and integrating the unconscious parts of the self, often referred to as the "shadow."
At its core, shadow work is about discovering what annoys, irritates, saddens, provokes, triggers or puts you on edge, and identifying the underlying causes for why they provoke such strong emotional reactions. It’s also about self-acceptance and reconciling with the aspects of your identity that carry any sort of unnecessary and unhelpful shame or guilt.
Concealing your shadow is a form of repression, and experts share that this may have mental health consequences. Your shadow self can lead to self-destructive behaviours such as self-sabotage, aggressiveness, power struggles, codependency, addiction, negative talk or you may experience mental health illness, like depression, anxiety and chronic stress.
Rather than addressing what’s hurting you, you turn that pain inward and take it out on yourself. But by working with our shadow and recognising and embracing those parts of ourselves, we can live a more fulfilling, peaceful and happy life.
Alasdair Kirk is a counsellor, psychotherapist, certified shadow work facilitator and psychedelic integration therapist. Ali facilitates shadow work sessions as an effective method of supporting individuals into emotional resilience, authenticity and joyful living.
For Alasdair, shadow work is a form of deep process psychotherapy. It involves engaging with the shadow - those parts of ourselves that we ignore, repress, deny, fear, or feel ashamed of. These shadow aspects are often the unconscious forces behind our unhelpful behaviours, overwhelming emotions, and troubling life patterns; showing up as dissatisfaction, imbalance, disconnection or lack of fulfilment in our lives and within our relationships.
In this episode of The Happier Life Project, Alasdair explains the process of shadow work, its benefits and how shadows might manifest. He also shares how shadows are created, often generated from as far back as childhood. And why suppressing, ignoring or fearing them, can lead to significant emotional distress, until we recognize and accept them, allowing us to feel whole. Ali also offers guidance on how we might begin to meet and accept our shadow parts; to gain a greater sense of personal empowerment, a reduction in internal conflicts or psychological distress, and to free ourselves from living a life less fulfilled.
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