The Part of Us That Won't Let Go
An Open Community Gathering
The Part of Us That Won't Let Go
The Neuroscience of Shame, Self-Forgiveness, and Unconscious Contracts
With Sarah Peyton
About this gathering
Most people in recovery know how to extend warmth and understanding to others. When it comes to themselves, something holds firm.
In order to survive or belong, we make unconscious and silent agreements with ourselves, contracts that can keep us feeling stuck, small, and constrained. One of the most persistent is this: "I will never forgive myself for that." Staying in shame can feel like the only response that has any integrity. The brain is trying to care for something, it's just using a strategy that comes at an enormous cost.
In this conversation, neuroscience educator Sarah Peyton will explore how shame operates in the brain, how these unconscious contracts form, and what it actually takes to begin dissolving them. Not by bypassing what happened, but by finally bringing the warmth and accompaniment to ourselves that we've never quite been able to offer.
45 minutes of conversation, followed by live audience Q&A.
If you are able to contribute, your support helps us keep these gatherings going. Contributions of any amount are gratefully received.
The recording of this session (without the Q&A) will be shared on our YouTube channel after the event.
Times by region
This gathering is at 7:30 p.m. Berlin time (CEST), that's:
| UK & Ireland (BST) | 6:30 p.m. |
| Eastern US (EDT) | 1:30 p.m. |
| Central US (CDT) | 12:30 p.m. |
| Pacific US (PDT) | 10:30 a.m. |
Tip: On this website, add your city and hover over CEST – 7:30 p.m. to see what time that is where you live.
About Sarah Peyton
sarahpeyton.com
Our workshops and community gatherings are educational and recovery-supportive. They complement, rather than replace, professional mental health care or your existing recovery program. Guest presenters contribute as independent experts and their participation does not constitute a therapeutic relationship.