Guilt and Shame

A renowned Slovak clinical and forensic psychologist returns with the eighth volume of his successful series on the psychology of the margins. The new book explores the emotions of guilt and shame—profound inner forces that accompany us from childhood to old age, shaping our decisions, relationships, and self-perception.

These universal yet often misunderstood feelings affect both healthy people and those with mental disorders, ordinary citizens and those who have broken the law. The author offers readers a unique perspective on their various manifestations in psychological literature, fiction, and especially in the real-life stories of people he has encountered in his practice as a psychotherapist and court-appointed expert.

This year, his contributions were also recognized at the national level: he received the White Crow Award for his long-standing professional and social contributions and for his courage in engaging in public discourse with an important, values-based voice on mental health and the quality of life in society.

The book is not only a scholarly work but also an inspiring guide for anyone who wants to understand how guilt and shame influence our behavior, self-esteem, and relationships.

Prof. PhDr. Anton Heretik, CSc.

Anton Heretik is a leading Slovak psychologist and court expert specializing in clinical and forensic psychology. He found his path to his field through fiction, and after completing his studies in psychology at the Faculty of Philosophy of Comenius University, he returned to the faculty in 1985 as a lecturer. He currently serves there as a professor of clinical psychology. Between 1973 and 1985, he worked as a clinical psychologist at the Psychiatric Clinic of the University Hospital in Bratislava. As a forensic expert, he has focused on the assessment of perpetrators of violent crimes for forty years. He authored the first Czech-Slovak university textbook on forensic psychology, and in addition to textbooks, he has published dozens of scholarly studies and popular science books in the fields of psychopathology, psychodiagnostics, and psychotherapy. In addition to his teaching and research activities, he continues to work as a clinical psychologist in private practice.

Location: V-klub, Námestie SNP, Bratislava, Slovakia
Date: Monday, 27.4.2026
Time: from 19:00
Price: 12, on site 14 €

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