Search Results for: critical inner voice

How to Befriend Yourself: A Psychotherapeutic Approach to Living

…zing parts of your life that make you miserable and conjecturing what your inner voices are telling you on the subject. Not only is it vital to recognize your destructive voices, but these voices must also be challenged directly and behavior based on the destructive thought process must be replaced with more effective responses. It is significant to recognize that even though there may be elements of truth in what your voices are telling you, the…

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Generosity Mental Health

Why Generosity is Good for YOU!

…ing self-centered can mean spending too much time listening to a “critical inner voice” inside our heads that critiques our every move and tells us we are failing in one or another area of our lives. Generosity distracts us from the scathing insults of this inner voice while creating quite a strong argument against it. It is difficult to prove we are worthless when we are watching someone else benefit from our actions. Generosity is a natural conf…

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PsychAlive Event Calendar

…– 12pm PST Learn more or register here Oct. 17-19 Challenging the Critical Inner Voice: Four Steps to Differentiation of Self NASPR 2013 Conference Memphis, Tennessee Learn more here Oct. 22 Helping Clients Overcome Depression CE Webinar Presenter: Lisa Firestone, Ph.D. 4pm – 5:30pm PST 3 CE’s Learn more or register here Nov. 5 Psychological Hardiness and Mental Health CE Webinar Presenter: Salvatore Maddi, Ph.D. 4pm – 5:30pm PST 3 CE’s Learn more…

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Generosity – What’s in it for you?

…eing self-centered can mean spending too much time listening to a critical inner voice inside our heads that critiques our every move and tells us we are failing in one or another area of our lives. Generosity distracts us from the scathing insults of this inner voice, while creating quite a strong argument against it. It is difficult to prove we are worthless when we are watching someone else benefit from our actions. Generosity is a natural conf…

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The Price of Being Strong: Risks to the Mental Health of Athletes

…d author Dr. Robert Firestone and I have come to refer to as the “critical inner voice.” This internal enemy preys on any vulnerability or perceived weakness, telling us that we are nothing, that we are different, that we are less than, undeserving, or alone. When athletes start to feel separated from the world, they may start to listen to and increasingly believe the commentary of this cruel inner critic. This process may exacerbate their feeling…

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The Inner Voices Behind Violent Behavior

…ack of remorse expressed by the person who is influenced by these types of voices. An example of these voices is: Violence is the way to go. Just smash them; you’ll feel better. Understanding what is going on in the mind of someone who is violent allows us to better assess the risk for violence and to intervene, protecting both the potential perpetrator and victim. Many risk factors for violence can’t be changed, but a person’s thinking is a risk…

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The Fantasy Bond or Primary Defense

…to making progress in psychotherapy. In my next blog, I will describe the critical thought process or voice that represents a secondary defense and supports both the self-nourishing and self-punishing components of the fantasy bond. Read more in Dr. Robert Firestone’s new book: The Enemy Within: Separation Theory and Voice Therapy References Jacobson (2009). Considering Interactions between Genes, Environment, Biology, and Social Context. Psychol…

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Genuine Relating in an Imperfect World

…s kind of judgemental or mean attitude is supported by a person’s critical inner voice. The voice is a self-protective defense that can discourage intimacy by espousing a negative point of view about the person, their partner and their relationship. It attacks the person (What are you doing with that loser? You deserve better than this!) and their partner (They are so stupid/ unattractive/ weak/ etc.) and their relationship (This relationship is d…

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Are You the Pursuer or the Distancer in Your Relationship?

…ay from our partner. We can also notice the coaching thoughts or “critical inner voices” that are telling us that this or that negative behavior will solve the problem. These thoughts can be sneaky, but they encourage us to act in ways that keep the cycle going. “You should ignore him. That’s the only way he’ll give you what you want,” they whisper. “Just call her one more time. You need to know what she’s doing,” they shout. “What if she’s losing…

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I Want to Die

…den to others or not belonging anywhere. The combination of these Critical Inner Voices and the emotional pain people are feeling can lead them to believe that they shouldn’t be alive and the people in their lives would be better off without them. However, this is never the case. Harming yourself will only hurt the people that you love. Studies show that each person who commits suicide directly impacts at least seven people. Furthermore, the feeli…

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