Guiding Clients Towards Self-Kindness and Acceptance: Wrestling With the Inner Critic
Research and methodology on the treatment of self-criticism in counselling is limited in the recent literature. This article describes how harsh automatic self-criticism became viewed within several theoretical frameworks as a sub-personality with a purpose rather than a simple psychological mechani...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
2024-09-01
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| Series: | Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.123356 |
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| _version_ | 1850238771523485696 |
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| author | Mark Pearson Helen Wilson |
| author_facet | Mark Pearson Helen Wilson |
| author_sort | Mark Pearson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Research and methodology on the treatment of self-criticism in counselling is limited in the recent literature. This article describes how harsh automatic self-criticism became viewed within several theoretical frameworks as a sub-personality with a purpose rather than a simple psychological mechanism. The article reviews a number of approaches to therapeutic work with clients experiencing habitual self-criticism. It outlines eight therapeutic steps to gaining freedom from the inner critic, including getting to know self-critical "voices", understanding their origins, recognising what activates escalation of self-criticism, and making efforts that create distance from the corrosive effect of self-criticism. Ways to become grounded and self-compassionate, and to develop an individualised wellbeing plan are discussed as components of gaining freedom from self-critical dominance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b32c539f5e4d451f8fc6287894e141e0 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2201-7089 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia |
| spelling | doaj-art-b32c539f5e4d451f8fc6287894e141e02025-08-20T02:01:23ZengPsychotherapy and Counselling Federation of AustraliaPsychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia2201-70892024-09-0112210.59158/001c.123356Guiding Clients Towards Self-Kindness and Acceptance: Wrestling With the Inner CriticMark PearsonHelen WilsonResearch and methodology on the treatment of self-criticism in counselling is limited in the recent literature. This article describes how harsh automatic self-criticism became viewed within several theoretical frameworks as a sub-personality with a purpose rather than a simple psychological mechanism. The article reviews a number of approaches to therapeutic work with clients experiencing habitual self-criticism. It outlines eight therapeutic steps to gaining freedom from the inner critic, including getting to know self-critical "voices", understanding their origins, recognising what activates escalation of self-criticism, and making efforts that create distance from the corrosive effect of self-criticism. Ways to become grounded and self-compassionate, and to develop an individualised wellbeing plan are discussed as components of gaining freedom from self-critical dominance.https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.123356 |
| spellingShingle | Mark Pearson Helen Wilson Guiding Clients Towards Self-Kindness and Acceptance: Wrestling With the Inner Critic Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia |
| title | Guiding Clients Towards Self-Kindness and Acceptance: Wrestling With the Inner Critic |
| title_full | Guiding Clients Towards Self-Kindness and Acceptance: Wrestling With the Inner Critic |
| title_fullStr | Guiding Clients Towards Self-Kindness and Acceptance: Wrestling With the Inner Critic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Guiding Clients Towards Self-Kindness and Acceptance: Wrestling With the Inner Critic |
| title_short | Guiding Clients Towards Self-Kindness and Acceptance: Wrestling With the Inner Critic |
| title_sort | guiding clients towards self kindness and acceptance wrestling with the inner critic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.59158/001c.123356 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT markpearson guidingclientstowardsselfkindnessandacceptancewrestlingwiththeinnercritic AT helenwilson guidingclientstowardsselfkindnessandacceptancewrestlingwiththeinnercritic |