Shame Out Loud: Beyond the Worst Thing That Ever Happened to Us
Have you ever felt like the worst thing that happened to you became your entire identity?
For many of us, shame isn’t just a feeling; it’s a hiding place. We carry our pain in silence, convinced that what we’ve been through defines us, or worse, that surviving it somehow made us "the problem." We rationalize the harm done to us. We shrink ourselves to protect everyone else in the room, terrified that if we speak the truth out loud, the world we’ve built will crumble.
I know that silence intimately. I lived inside it for decades. Child and Woman, the creative piece that launched this series wasn't written for an audience. It was written in the dark, years before there were microphones or roundtables. It was my own "truth taking its time," waiting for a moment when it felt safe enough to breathe.
I’ve been there. And so have the women at my table.
Shame Out Loud was created to prove that we are so much more than the worst thing that was ever done to us. It is a 6-part journey designed to help you stop shrinking and start returning to yourself.
“Before the story opened, there was only a girl and a moment that split her world in two.”
– Lori Clarke
What is Shame Out Loud?
The Child and Woman reading is the start of Shame Out Loud, setting the stage for five roundtable conversations.
These conversations don’t treat harm as one single category. Our guests include survivors of various backgrounds:
Those from chaotic or alcoholic families.
Individuals who were parentified—pushed into caretaking roles too early.
Those carrying wounds from emotional betrayal or chronic invalidation.
Survivors of power, fear, and abandonment.
The details differ, but the ache does not. We name the common thread of human experience without flattening anyone’s unique story.
A Note of Care Before You Listen
This series holds heavy material, even when spoken gently. Each episode includes a content warning. No one describes explicit events, but reflections touch on sexual assault, emotional neglect, and difficult family experiences.
The invitation is simple: Meet yourself with compassion and move at a pace that your body allows.
Please note: This is creative work, not medical or professional advice. If this series awakens pain, we encourage you to reach out to a trained therapist or healthcare provider.
Curious Writing Companions
To support you through the series, I created Curious Writing Companions for each episode. These are not "homework"—they are gentle invitations drawn from themes that surface in the conversations.
They are framed as openings, not obligations. They include:
Reflective writing prompts.
Grounding practices.
Invitations to explore your own story at your own pace.
Where to Go Next
The full series is available to revisit on this website, as well as on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Start with the Child and Woman Reading.
Continue into the roundtable conversations.
Use the Writing Companions for a slower, reflective pace.
The journey continues in Part 2, where my co-host Tammy Valicenti and I begin exploring the "forest" we each learned to walk through.