Joe Burgo is a clinical psychologist and psychoanalyst who’s been in practice for almost 40 years. He also writes books for a popular audience mostly focused on shame and narcissism. In this episode Joe explains how a sense of shame can be a root cause of gender dysphoria and how gender transition can be idealized as a “cure” for all kinds of shame – gay shame, outsider shame, survivor of sexual abuse shame, feeling weird or different shame, and so on. The impact of the medical model on society is also lifted up as Joe describes how his depth-approach to psychological pain is often dismissed in a world seeking a solution for every problem and a pill for every ill. 

Resources 

Joe’s blog: http://www.afterpsychotherapy.com/ 

Joe’s books:  

Why Do I Do That? Psychological Defense Mechanisms and the Hidden Ways They Shape Our Lives 

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Do-That-Psychological-Mechanisms/dp/0988443120 

The Narcissist You Know: Defending Yourself Against Extreme Narcissists in an All-About-Me World 

http://www.amazon.com/Narcissist-You-Know-Narcissists-All-About-Me/dp/14767… 

Building Self-Esteem: How Learning from Shame Helps Us to Grow 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0997592028/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF… 

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