Deran Young, LCSW, MPA, will teach during the Wisdom and Wellbeing  Multi-Faculty Week 5: Trauma, Recovery and Somatic Intelligence | February 8 – 15, 2025 about the following topic:

Cultivating Shame Resilience

This workshop will provide a brief introduction to researcher Dr. Brene Brown’s grounded theory of shame resilience. Deran Young has studied and worked alongside Brene since 2017, increasing awareness of shame amongst licensed mental health professionals and with leaders in corporate workplaces in organizations such as Facebook, Linked In, University of Washington, and YWCA. As a contributor in the New York Times Bestseller edited by Brene Brown and Tarana Burke (founder of the #metoo movement), Deran writes: shame resilience “is the ability to practice authenticity when we experience shame, to move through the experience without sacrificing our values, and to come out on the other side with more courage, compassion and connection than we had going into it.”

Shame is perhaps the most painful of all emotions. It can be at the root of individual psychological overwhelm and relational conflicts. Shame thrives on secrecy, isolation, and avoidance, hiding just beneath the surface of self doubt, aggression, perfectionism, anxiety, depression and fear of intimacy. Understanding how to identify shame triggers to cultivate shame resilience can help regulate the nervous system by tapping into the healing power of self compassion and empathy. This workshop will focus on learning to challenge the fears and myths associated with emotional vulnerability, to discover your personal patterns/reactions to shame, uncover ideal vs unwanted identities, and lean into authenticity through clarification of values and boundaries. We will also discuss legacy burdens and intergenerational trauma as key sources of shame, with an emphasis on collective/communal healing to foster trust, courage and a deep sense of connection.

Deran Young is a licensed therapist, CDWF, CDTL, Co-Author of New York TImes Best Seller, You Are Your Best Thing, retired military officer, and the founder of Black Therapists Rock.

Black Therapists Rock is a non profit organization that mobilizes over 30,000 mental health professionals committed to reducing the psychological impact of systemic oppression and intergenerational trauma.

She obtained her social work degree from University of Texas, where she studied abroad in Ghana, West Africa for two semesters creating a high school counseling center for under-resourced students. Deran describes herself as someone who loves to learn from various cultures and has visited over 37 different countries and her clinical experience spans across four different continents. Her passion for culture and people has led her to become a highly sought after diversity and inclusion consultant working with companies like BBERG, Facebook, Linked In, Field Trip Health, and YWCA.

Deran’s advocacy expands over several online and offline platforms. With a current social media audience of over 100,000 followers on IG and Facebook, Deran has become a leading influencer and public figure committed to spreading mental health awareness and improving health equity. She resides in the Washington DC area and continues to explore the world with her young son.