…e were somehow bad, inadequate, or desperately needing to prove otherwise. Robert Firestone’s most recent work, Overcoming the Destructive Inner Voice – True Stories of Therapy and Transformation, is a book of short stories in which he relates various therapeutic experiences from his career. Self-loathing seems to be an underlying theme among many of these very personal narratives. Particularly the chapter entitled The Uninvited, in which Dr. Fire…
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…ides from “The Critical Inner Voice That Causes Depression” Here Watch Dr. Robert Firestone describe the Steps in Voice Therapy: Recommended Books See all Upcoming PsychAlive Webinars Learn about upcoming free and CE PsychAlive Webinars with leading experts in the field of psychology. Support PsychAlive.org and The Glendon Association in their mission to advance mental health by bringing psychological awareness and insights into everyd…
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…tionships even after we’ve truly fallen in love with someone. In fact, Dr. Robert Firestone developed the concept of the fantasy bond to describe an illusion of connection between a couple that is substituted for feelings of real love and intimacy. A fantasy bond forms when a couple replaces the personal relating involved in being in love with the form of being a “couple.” Couples in a fantasy bond tend to fall into routine and forgo their indepen…
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…t. So, how can we separate from this identity? Together with my father Dr. Robert Firestone, who developed Voice Therapy, we’ve collectively written and produced dozens of books, blogs, films, articles, Webinars, workshops, and studies, discussing what works in relation to overcoming this inner critic. Recently, when talking to my father about the critical inner voice and identity, he brought up an important component to continuously resist the in…
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…makes us feel bad. We all have an internal enemy or what psychologist Dr. Robert Firestone describes as a “critical inner voice” that comments negatively on ourselves and others. This destructive internal enemy feeds us an ongoing stream of thoughts that tell us things like: “You’re nothing. Just give up. People don’t like you. No one respects you. You should just avoid them. Don’t even try. No one could understand you. You can’t handle this. You…
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…to grow and change. How to Be Confident: Get to Know Your Inner Critic Dr. Robert Firestone, author of Overcoming the Destructive Inner Voice has written extensively about the role of the “critical inner voice” in injuring people’s confidence and limiting their ability to fully be themselves. This “voice” is like a sadistic coach that attacks us from every angle and undermines our goals. It affects us in all areas of our lives. Sometimes, this des…
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…are ambivalent toward relationships. As my father, psychologist and author Robert Firestone, wrote, “Most people have a fear of intimacy and at the same time are terrified of being alone.” This fear causes some people to resist closeness. A lot of people want someone up until the moment that someone wants them back, or they only start wanting a person when that person stops wanting them. For other people, fear makes them cling to their relationshi…
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…that can sabotage, diminish, or undermine us. Psychologist and author Dr. Robert Firestone often refers to this internal enemy as an “anti-self” or “critical inner voice.” Learning to deal effectively with the “critical inner voice” is central to all areas of life: personal development, healthy relationships, self-esteem, and career success. This CE Webinar provides participants with an introduction to Voice Therapy, a technique that can enhance…
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…emselves in ways that are extremely self-punishing and negative,” said Dr. Robert Firestone, author of Overcoming the Destructive Inner Voice. He describes an “anti-self” or “critical inner voice” we all experience that acts like an internal judge. This voice is almost constantly assessing us, evaluating what we accomplish and how we’re perceived. This cruel inner critic not only tells us that we’re failing when we’re not, but it contributes to se…
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…ildhood known as the “fantasy bond.” As one of the central concepts of Dr. Robert Firestone, the fantasy bond describes an illusion of connection we originally form with our parent or primary caretaker as a defense system to help relieve early anxiety and emotional pain. However, as we grow up, this very defense system limits our ability to pursue or accept real love and connection. In this Webinar, Dr. Lisa Firestone will explain her father’s con…
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