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TAMPA BAY • FEBRUARY 23-24 2026

This FINAL encore experience will be unlike any other. Because like everything we do, it's been "reimagined" from beginning to end. It's not a virtual or hybrid event. It's not a conference. It's not a seminar, a workshop, a meeting, or a symposium. And it's not your typical run-of-the-mill everyday event crammed with stages, keynote speeches, team-building exercises, PowerPoint presentations, and all the other conventional humdrum. Because it's up close & personal by design. Where conversation trumps presentation. And where authentic connection runs deep.

The Healing Begins

If a wound does not heal, there is no telling what damage may occur.

The start of any new year brings more than just a host of resolutions. For some, it signals more of a renaissance, a resurgence, or even a reawakening of the mind, body, and soul. Those who’ve set out with this type of mindset should be warmly applauded. Typically, a change of this sort requires hard work and the rewards rarely arrive in a timely manner.

There are also those who choose not to even try such an undertaking. Perhaps in the past, they did attempt but no matter how hard they struggled, something – almost mystical – seemed to thwart each and every attempt. As much as they aspire to change, there seem to be no solutions viable enough to help with any kind of transformation.

In my case, the solution was hidden for many years because what needed to occur first was healing from past difficulties. There had been plenty of incidents in my life that significantly influenced me to think there was something innately wrong with who I was. It was as though I deserved bad things to happen to me and nothing could be done to stop it. This belief is how I define the word shame.

The shame which accumulated over the years ultimately created a feeling of normalcy. While the pain would eventually decrease, it also meant the absence of shame felt awkward and not “normal”; an environment in which it was able to thrive. The only way I could overcome this was to heal from the past abuses and injuries.

Fortunately, I found a phenomenal therapist who was able to help me understand this issue and provide me with tools to start my healing process. It began in early 2013 and since then, helping others heal has been a passion of mine and a driving force in my life.

If there is any hope for a cut or scrape not to become infected it needs to heal. Fortunately, these abrasions are usually quite simple to spot and take a proper course of action. Emotional wounds, on the other hand, are difficult to see and often avoided because of the pain suffered when we do. Emotional healing is a critical and vital subject yet there seems to be very little discussion and even less valuable advice on how it is done. Nearly all of us have had some difficulty in our past which has generated some sort of devastating impression. While many have been able to work through it, proper healing may have provided much more satisfying results.

It is my belief that many in the mental health profession don’t understand the benefits of healing nor do they know how to properly provide the tools and techniques which generate proper healing. Simply avoiding those moments or getting them out of our mind is not healing and although you’ve heard differently, time does NOT heal all wounds.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be discussing ways of healing from past abuses and if you would like to share any personal stories, please feel free to do so in the comment portion. However, if you’d rather not wait and want to begin your healing journey immediately, feel free to contact me. After all, that is my passion.

John Dunia
John Duniahttp://shamedoctor.com/
John has a passion; and that is helping others heal from past difficulties and abuses. Healing became important when he realized how much it freed him from his own past and now works to help others experience that liberation. The key to his success was discovering that the most debilitating damage was his own shame and the destructive things he believed about who he was. Throughout his own healing journey, he became hyper-aware of how shame was affecting him while having little clue of its presence. Others noticed these changes and reached out to him for help. His methods were so effective that he made it a mission to shift his career into helping others. Adopting the term “ShameDoctor”, he continues to teach others to empower themselves through his remarkably effective techniques. “Shame is one of the biggest yet least talked about issues we face as individuals and society yet so very little is mentioned about it.” It is his purpose to change the way the world perceives shame and promote helpful and viable techniques to heal and overcome those past struggles. John’s book, “Shame On Me – Healing a Life of Shame-Based thinking” was self-published in 2016. In addition to working with clients, John also writes healing and insightful articles each week. He is also looking forward to speaking on the topics of shame and healing throughout the globe.

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