A Guide to Shadow Work: A Workbook to Explore Your Hidden Self

by Stephanie Kirby

Find self-love, self-acceptance, and true growth through understanding the dark and light that coexist in you. Over the course of your life, you push difficult emotions and experiences aside, but they never truly leave you. These elements form your shadow self , the dark side of your personality that most people try to repress. Shadow work is a method of embracing and seeking to understand this darker aspect of yourself so that you can release the pain and trauma of the past and become a more healed and balanced person . A Guide to Shadow Work will be your guide as you walk toward embracing your shadow Darkness and light coexist in every person. Only by doing the hard work of acknowledging the darkness can you begin to heal, love and accept yourself, and truly grow.

The Wellness Workbooks series from Wellfleet Press offers guidance on a wide range of self-help and mental health topics. Each book presents a thoughtful, evidence-based collection of straightforward exercises in an accessible, enjoyable format that will keep you engaged and inspired. With a distinctive design and full-color illustrations throughout, these workbooks deliver a practical path to personal growth in a beautiful package.

Check out other titles in the Find Your Strength , Find your Calm , Find Good Habits , and Find Your Peace .

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published November 15, 2022

Reviews

[Lea Bowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about shadow work. It explains the concept of shadow work and how to incorporate it into our lives to heal. I first became interested in shadow work a few years back when my counselor/therapist encouraged me to look into it. Because of that some of this stuff I already knew but it was a nice refresher and there was plenty of new material as well. There are several prompt questions and space for journaling to get one started on shadow work as well as thought provoking commentary going with those questions.

Breaking down into various categories such as the "Golden Shadow", the "Masks we wear", 'the disowned self" and "Shadow Images" this gives a pretty comprehensive guide to how to not only learn about our shadows but to use that knowledge to learn and grow. I especially enjoyed the section on the hero's journey.

Finally, I want to commend the graphic artist for this book because it's quite lovely. I may buy the printed version when it is published just for the graphics and the look of the book alone.

Thank you to Net Galley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wellfleet Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book for review.

[Jenna Deaton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Guide to Shadow Work by Stephanie Kirby is a a visually stunning beginners guide to doing the hard work of self reflection and emotional healing.
What I loved
1. All visual elements of this book from lay out to graphics and font choice are absolutely gorgeous and perfect..
2. Prompts and questions are actually fairly interesting
What could have been improved
1. I would have liked to see more examples and discussion around the way we skirt around or shallowly answer the questions presented in daily life.
2. I would have liked to see more references to and recommendations for other works especially non witch ones for improving self reflection.
Who I would recommend this book for
This Workbook will be a useful tool for those taking their first steps into the deeper world of self reflection who desire to use the lens of occultism and Jungian psychology to begin the journey.

[Ag · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a useful book for everyone who wants to live a richer, fuller, happier life, who wants to feel better and understand themselves and their motivation, and action better! it does not really matter what is one’s reasoning behind starting shadow work. the end result is what matters – if you do it, if you really do it, it will make your life better. the more you know yourself, the better your life is going to be. This book is filled with thought-provoking questions and gives you so many ways to think about things you probably have not thought about really deeply – maybe ever, maybe not for a while. I feel like this is going to be a book I will be ordering to give as a gift to several people in my life.

[Bobbi bobbijoreads]

I've read a few books about meditation and healing energies, but this is the first one I've found specifically on the topic of Shadow Work and I am so happy I stumbled upon it.

The book is written as a Workbook with sections to fill out, a lot of reflection and searching inward to find your answers to the prompts and questions. I can see readers going through this book again and again as they uncover their shadow and balance their consciouses.

I really liked the section about Generational Trauma, Ancestry and healing the Inner Child.

The book itself is lovely to look at, the purple is soothing and the sections for reflection have plenty of space to write or draw. There are resources included at the end of the book for further guidance which is really nice.

[Lily Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this would be a powerful book for anyone working through trauma, especially when guided by a supportive therapist. Reading for the purposes of reviewing, I can see how intuitive a lot of the prompts and questions are, and I think while this is a book you would want to take slowly and carefully, the time spent engaging with the material will be very worthwhile.

I am grateful to Edelweiss+ and the publisher for an ARC of A Guide to Shadow Work: A Workbook to Explore Your Hidden Self. These opinions are my own.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just the book for everyone. I do feel that we must at least have this kind of journal and I believe it will help you heal, be yourself more than you think what’s expected of you and become more anxious.

I find the cover, the contents, the prompts, the concept totally perfect!

If you believe in the concept of yin and yang, this book will give you the perfect balance on how you can balance your yin and yang!

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group- Wellfleet Press, for the advance reading copy.

[MoonChild · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was granted by Netgalley, an arc of A Guide to Shadow Work in exchange for my honest opinion.

Very interesting and informative guide, with very clear and simple language, and it is easy to follow and understand.
A fascinating subject that grabbed my interest from the moment e started reading it.
This is for everyone willing to work on the self and get some support and guidance. there's enough space to write down the progress and it's a good book to have in hand, a great help for spiritual growth.
Great choice of colours and design, I loved it.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly what it says it is: a workbook. It may not go into a lot of detail of shadow work, because it expects you to with all the questions it asks. It has different themes and has some awesome questions. I found it intriguing, calming, and I enjoyed the layout. This is a great tool for getting to the root of your authenticity, your shadows, and uncovering some of what holds you back. I appreciate Netgalley, the author, and the publisher to allow me to read and review. It's a tool I recommend you add to your personal development arsenal.

[Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Guide to Shadow Work is not only an absolutely stunningly designed book, but also a well laid out journey into your shadow side. The workbook focuses on answering questions and past decisions and finding solutions to reoccurring issues. Again the design work and layout of this book is amazing. Kudos to the design team! It really makes this volume stand out from all the others.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really engaging and helpful book to read, especially if you’re new to shadow work or feel you need ‘something’ to help you work through things you struggle with or to help figure out how your mind deals with things.

I am a big journal writer and I loved that this book actively encourages writing things down and working through feelings surrounding certain triggers.

Thank you NetGalley & the publishers for the chance to read and review this book.

[Alexa Esperanza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book/journal. I think it’s a great introduction to shadow work and understanding your inner world. I haven’t gotten to do all of the writing prompts yet, but I’ve found them really helpful so far. I also loved that the author included some somatic exercises. I’d recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning more about the human psyche as it relates to trauma and the shadow self.

[Kate Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated with the idea of 'Shadow Work.'
It's a word that gets branded around a lot, but it's never been something that I have truly looked into. This book is definitely a workbook - and the journal prompts really make you dig deeper into your feelings - however, I'm not quite sure all of the prompts relate specifically to shadow-work - nevertheless it is really interesting.

[Courtney (withabookproblem) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Wellfleet Press, Wellfleet Press for a copy of this eARC for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

The design and layout for this are gorgeous. It’s very thought provoking and the prompts are great.

I can’t wait to get a physical copy once it is released.

[Manda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of great ideas. The prompts are helpful as a way to focus and meditate on your shadow self. I found the trauma section helpful in unlocking my shadow self. Thank you for the ARC.
*This is a voluntary review

[Krystina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the sound of this book because id never read anything about shadow work before so I was looking forward to learning something new. I wasn't disappointed, I've learnt a great deal and it's laid out in a really accessible way. I look forward to using this workbook a lot in the future!

[Liv Muscat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting book with some really useful tips. It was great to read through but will also be very useful to refer back to when putting the theories into place.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are questions are open to let you explore and really answer them (if you want). A workbook to add if doing shadow work and looking into it. Each section does have an introduction to it.

[Emma Durand · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple but practical. A good place to start

[Jennifer]

I did a bunch of skipping around and skimming, but this was a useful book for helping me understand what shadow work can look like—one form of it.

[Amber (or CJ Lynch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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Love the color scheme, laid out beautifully, the design is beautiful. An excellent overview of what shadow work is and great exercises to engage with the concepts to see a new perspective. Incorporates metaphysical, magical, and psychological ways to look inside yourself and learn more about yourself. Definitely worth a read if you're willing to put in the work and engage. It doesn't matter if you truly "believe" in the mystical and the metaphysical - shadow work in this book is simply presented as a way to self-reflect, work through issues, and grow.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[B. Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received this e-book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Unfortunately, I found this e-book the day before it was set to be archived from NetGalley so I did not get a chance to finish it. However, the parts I were able to skim were great! Most self-help books only skim the surface but this book seem to truly provide the deep dive into oneself. With chapters dedicated to Generational Trauma, Ancestry and healing the Inner Child. The Workbook prompts allows you to keep track and journal your thoughts. This book does not look like it is meant to replace consulting with a professional psychiatrist but it is meant to allow you to start the conversation with yourself about what you went through and how it impacts your life now. Often, these conversations are the hardest to have even with years of seeing a professional.

This self-guided workbook on shadow work will allow you to touch on self-love, self-acceptance, and speak to both the dark and light forces that coexist in you. I just wish I had found it sooner so I could give a more detailed review!

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't your typical book in this genre, with lots of explanatory text but no real useful stuff - this one is incredibly insightful and useful, with lots of thought-provoking questions and journaling prompts to help you truly examine those parts of yourself that seem hidden.