Laura Shakun, PsyD
Laura Shakun, PsyD is a clinical psychologist with over 30 years of experience in clinics, hospitals, and private practice settings. She regularly incorporates Buddhist psychology, mindfulness, and compassion-based practices into her clinical work. Dr. Shakun is a trained teacher in the Mindful Self-Compassion course through the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. She is delighted to share these practices, offering their benefits to cultivate a sense of well-being, kindness, and steadiness in daily life.
Events with Laura Shakun, PsyD
Self-Forgiveness Workshop - Steps to Healing Shame with Self-Compassion (online by donation)September 13, 2026
Let’s face it, we all make mistakes. We’re fallible human beings. We hurt others and we hurt ourselves. As Lily Tomlin said, “The reason we hurt people is because we are people.” That’s also why self-forgiveness is a necessary skill for daily living. Research shows that self-forgiveness is even more strongly associated with personal wellbeing than forgiveness of others. Why This Matters When people think of self-compassion, they often think of self-forgiveness. However, self-compassion is only one step on the path to self-forgiveness. Self-forgiveness is delicate and complicated. We can create the conditions for self-forgiveness to occur, but when self-forgiveness…
Self-Compassion for Shame (6 Week Online)November 1 - December 6, 2026
“The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” – William James Shame is everywhere. Whenever we feel bad about ourselves, for whatever reason, there is a touch of shame. Shame can occur when we feel judged by others or when we judge ourselves. It can happen when we do something wrong and when we’re entirely innocent of wrongdoing. Shame strikes at the core of our being but has nothing to do with who we really are. Shame is the most difficult human emotion. What makes shame so challenging is that most of us would rather do anything…