David Bedrick, J.D., PW Dipl., grew up in family marked by violence. While his father’s brutality was physical and verbal, his mother’s denial and gaslighting had its own covert power. This formative context awakened David to the etiology of shame and instilled an urge to be a compassionate witness – to unshame.

David studied social and organizational psychology at the University of Minnesota’s graduate program in psychology. For twelve years, he consulted with dozens of organizations before pursuing clinical training at the Process Work Institute (PWI), an offshoot of the Jung Institute. He was on the faculty of PWI, and its sister school in Warsaw, Poland, where he taught about the link between the body, psyche, and shame.

In addition to studying Jungian psychology, David also focused on conflict resolution as a tool to address social justice, leading him to graduate at the top of his class from law school and helping women and children navigate domestic conflict. He was recognized for offering the highest level of pro bono service in Oregon.

David was also on the faculty of the University of Phoenix, teaching a range of courses in psychology (from Clinical Interviewing to Addictions and Diversity) and philosophy (Critical Thinking and Ethics). He began his research there on gender and body shame – his findings revealed that shame and self-hatred not only motivated many women to diet, but also prevented them from succeeding. This research led to publication of his 3rd book in 2020: You Can’t Judge a Body by Its Cover, about which Publishers Weekly wrote “Bedrick celebrates the deep wisdom held in… hearts, minds, and bodies of women in this powerful collection of profiles.”

His first book Talking Back to Dr. Phil, addressed body shame, family violence, and issues of addiction and power (2013) and his second book, Revisioning Activism (2017), examined psychology’s role in social activism. His latest book, The Unshaming Way, will be available this November.

To learn more about David, follow him on Instagram or visit his website at www.davidbedrick.com, where you can get access to his free tv episodes on unshaming, links to eighty essays published by Psychology Today, or purchase programs on addictions, chronic symptoms, abuse and trauma, or unshaming.