Compassion-Focused Therapy: Using Self-Compassion to Quiet Your Inner Critic

What is our inner critic?
Our inner critic is that judgemental, demeaning internal voice that makes us question our skills, decisions, and self-worth. It can sound something like “You always mess up,” “Why can’t you do better?” or “You’ll never be good enough” -  leading to shame, self-doubt, and decreased confidence.

Where does our inner critic come from?
The inner critic draws from negative internalized beliefs we have about ourselves, often formed by early life experiences, relationships with authority figures or trauma.

Evolutionary psychology explains the inner critic as an ancient, adaptive system rooted in our survival needs. This self-critical voice evolved primarily to help us fit in, avoid danger, and promote social cohesion. However, having an excessively chatty inner critic can create psychological distress, showing up as depression, anxiety and social isolation.

What is compassion-focused therapy?
CFT is an evidence-based approach developed by Paul Gilbert to help those struggling with high levels of shame and self-criticism, integrating ideas from evolutionary psychology, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and neuroscience.

CFT empowers individuals to replace self-attacking thoughts with compassionate self-talk, leading to reduced shame and criticism, greater emotional resilience, and improved self-esteem.

How can compassion-focused therapy help quiet my inner critic?

●      Building Self-Compassion: CFT teaches clients to approach their own suffering with warmth and
understanding rather than harsh judgment, helping to disarm the inner critic.

●      Regulating the Threat System: By cultivating compassion, CFT helps calm the threat system, reducing
anxiety and shame commonly linked to self-critical thoughts.

●      Engaging the Soothing System: Through exercises like compassionate imagery, mindfulness, and letter
writing, clients strengthen their ability to comfort and encourage themselves.

●      Changing Self-Relationship: CFT helps people recognize that self-criticism is learned and that it is
possible to develop a kinder, more balanced internal dialogue.

●      Addressing Early Experiences: The therapy explores how early attachment histories and social
experiences may have shaped an individual’s inner critic and low self-esteem.