Healing Shame and Perfectionism with Melissa Gendreau — Louise Sedgwick

As a quiet and shy bookworm growing up, Melissa Gendreau, LMHC, learned to believe that she needed to perform and be perfect in order to be accepted. That mindset followed her into adulthood, shaping the way she viewed herself and contributing to a deep sense of shame, including shame from a teenage relationship that went wrong. Yet even before Melissa fully knew Jesus, God had already placed a desire in her heart to give her life for His kingdom and help people who were hurting. In this episode, Melissa openly shares how those early experiences shaped her understanding of herself and how God began to change that perspective.

As Melissa came to know Jesus, she discovered that the way she had been assessing herself was not the truth. Through time, practice, and learning to trust what God says about her, she began to believe that she was who He said she was. Today, as a therapist, Melissa helps others who feel stuck in places of shame, drawing from both her professional experience and her own journey of healing. I loved her honest and vulnerable sharing, and I hope her story encourages you to look beyond the labels and expectations you have placed on yourself and discover who God says you are.