As neuroscientist and author of The Source Tara Swart, Ph.D., previously explained to mbg, we typically repress our shadow self because we don’t want to acknowledge our perceived shortcomings, negative qualities, or difficult memories. The shadow self is created throughout childhood as we learn how we’re expected to behave in the world, particularly by our caregivers. This transforms the way we operate as adults. As Swart notes, these messages from our caregivers can tell us that in order to survive, we have to live up to their expectations—and inhibit any behavior deemed unworthy or unacceptable. Therapists and mental health professionals will often take a “Socratic approach” to shadow work by asking patients to explore questions that help them reexamine old stories and beliefs they hold about themselves. “The idea is that a more objective entity (such as a therapist) can help provide an interpretive mirror to the parts of ourselves we have a difficult time seeing and accepting,” Caraballo explains. While doing shadow work with a trained therapist is certainly beneficial, your journal can also act as a mirror for self-guided work. The following prompts from holistic psychiatrist Kayse Budd, M.D., and licensed marriage and family therapist Tiana Leeds, M.A., LMFT, are designed to help you shine a light on your own shadow using a pen and paper.
