With IFS Parts Work, DBT and Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), learn to balance and mentor your own inner critical thoughts with Wise Mind. Gaining awareness of your self-talk and the "story" you are telling yourself is complex and transformational work.

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We all have an Inner Critic, as part of our inner dialogue. It is fueled by social survival needs (as humans, we have connection needs, such as feeling a sense of belonging, purpose and value). Our Inner Critic uses shame and guilt, and results in a slew of maladaptive protective stress reactions trying to 'get' us to be or act a certain way to get connection or 'protect' from punishment or rejection.

It is influenced by our experiences in childhood and adulthood, our attachment style, core beliefs, failures, memories, and internalized expectations from culture, family and friends. Our Inner Critics are unique to us each, however there are seven common Inner Critic types in our culture:

• Perfectionist has exceedingly high standards for everything you do.

• Taskmaster drives you to work hard and achieve at all costs.

• Inner Controller attempts to prevent and control you like a dictator, even shaming and judging your automatic thoughts and genuine feelings

• Guilt Tripper makes you feel unrelenting regret, guilt and shame, refusing to allow you self-forgiveness which could help you learn from mistakes and do better next time

• Inner Destroyer attacks your self-worth (worthiness to even exist)

• Underminer undermines your confidence, self-esteem and even minimizes your accomplishments and innate strengths

• Molder / Conformist shames/depresses your genuine feelings (wants, needs, interests, desires and needed limits), makes you a people-pleaser, and attempts to mold you into what it perceives as 'acceptable,' 'normal,' 'healthy,' 'lovable'