251: How to Cope with Shame
Show Notes Episode 251: Shame with Ely Kreimendahl
On this week’s episode of Lady Journey Katie and Sarah interview therapist and comedian, Ely Kreimendahl, about being a mom and getting back to expressing herself artistically after trying to have a “normal job.” Then, Sarah and Ely get into the issues of having a child with a donor.
Ely Kreimendahl
Ely is the host and creator of Shame Spiral Podcast, a weekly show in which she casually exploits her therapy background to interview notable comics, writers, actors and more about all things SHAME- it’s like listening in on a therapy session, but funny. Ely has been featured on Funny Or Die, is a contributor for Romper, Humor Darling, and Cracked, and performs stand up in NYC & beyond. She is the co-host/producer of a queer monthly standup comedy show called Gay Shame at Littlefield in Brooklyn. Ely was a 2022 Lambda Literary Screenwriting Fellow, and a 2021 Resident Comedy Artist at Ars Nova Theater in NYC, where she spent 6 months developing, writing and performing a solo comedy show called “How Does That Make You Feel” which explored queer pregnancy and motherhood, and the complexity of transitioning from being a psychotherapist to a comedian. Ely is also a founding member of New Roots (@newrootsartists,) an LGBTQIA+ artist residency for comics and writers in Upstate NY. Ely regularly posts original comedic stories, sketches and jokes on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok @elykreimendahl, with content around mental health, parenting, queerness, sobriety, and existential angst. She goes viral more often than is good for her, to be honest.
Dealing with Shame
Brene Brown has some great books which are a great starting point for developing shame resilience. Ely recommends coping with shame in a playful way, and also (of course) therapy. Sarah goes on to say, that she confronts shame by going back to humor and then owning her behavior. Remember we all have embarrassing stories and labeling shame and sharing it with others is a great way to take the sting out.
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