Shame plays a crucial role in a range of psychopathological conditions. Although the theoretical relevance of this emotion has been emphasized in psychoanalysis in recent years, the therapeutic implications of this revised perspective on shame continue to be overlooked. Shame often represents a problem whose existence is tacitly accepted in psychotherapy, yet is underestimated by many therapists. The drama of hiding and revealing oneself is primarily a social process. Shame is neither rooted in the self of the individual nor does it solely arise from internal conflicts. Rather, it can be characterized as an affect that reflects the intersubjective experience of a need for recognition that has been denied by the Other. The extent to which shame can permeate the therapeutic and analytical situation is significant.