What if the deepest parts of ourselves—our shame, our fears, and our unspoken pain—are not threats to be avoided, but rather portals to wholeness?

In Episode 7 of Let's Talk Horror - a mini series of Let's Talk Media, host Vedant Akhauri interviews depth psychologist and best-selling author Melissa Kim Corter about her latest book, Apothecary for the Afflicted: Shadow Work for Invisible Wounds.

In this book, Melissa teaches you about the shadow, how to work with it, and the importance of facing inner darkness using Jungian Psychology and analogies from Grimms' Fairy Tales. As you work with the materials, you will discover supportive shadow-work practice to soften resistance when difficult emotions, feelings, and sensations rise to the surface.

This marks Melissa’s return to the podcast, following a previous discussion on using horror and thriller films as psychotherapy.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The Shadow and Jungian Psychology: A deep dive into the Jungian concept of the shadow, including the myths of the shadow, and why our hidden pain haunts us until we listen.
• A Unique Fusion: How the book offers a unique combination of psychology, Grimms' Fairy Tales, and shadow work.
• The Power of Story: How Melissa pairs afflictions and invisible wounds with certain dark fairy tales, breaking down the retelling and analyzing the psychology behind them.
• Symbolic Themes: Analyzing stirring and symbolic chapter titles, such as "She who is thrown into darkness" or "She who has been cut to pieces".
• Individuation and Division: Using fairy tales, such as "The Robber Bridegroom," to explore themes of inner division (symbolic dismemberment) and the psychic process of individuation - the movement toward wholeness.
• Tools for Transformation: How the book guides readers to create a "darkness journal"—an essential tool for uncovering blind spots using only a notebook and an open heart.
• The Writing Journey: Melissa shares the pivotal experience of writing the book, which required her to confront her own childhood memories, including growing up around intense and macabre real-life occurrences on a haunted road.
• Vulnerability in Collaboration: The emotional process of receiving contributions (forwards) from Dr. Cydni Brannen (Ph.D) and Dr. Stacy Shelby, as well as illustrator Stephanie Wicker-Campbell, and how vulnerability is essential to receive the gift of their words.
• Overcoming Fear: Practical advice for listeners who are hesitant or scared of confronting their inner darkness, explaining that the ego often misinterprets the process as a threat.
• The Long-Term Benefit: Why the longer you run from your pain, the worse it gets. Using the "beach ball" analogy to illustrate how unresolved issues grow and intensify until they are integrated and released.

You can find Melissa Kim Corter's book, Apothecary for the Afflicted: Shadow Work for Invisible Wounds, at her website melissacorter.com or through major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and leave a rating to help boost the show and stick around for future episodes.Follow Let's Talk Media with Vedant Akhauri on Instagram @letstalkmediava for updates and extras.

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