Sensing Mind Institute
What if fighting self-criticism makes it stronger?
Self-criticism can feel like an enemy: Constantly judging, pushing, doubting and finding fault. But if we see it as an enemy and fight it, we only increase the total amount of negative self-talk. Instead, if we see self-criticism as misguided and harmful attempts at helping ourselves, we can learn to understand and change the unconscious processes that produce it and make its actions seem necessary.
Transforming Self-Criticism presents a systematic and rigorous approach to working with self-criticism by understanding it as unhelpful and counterproductive ways of pointing to forgotten or misunderstood resources in yourself – without accepting or excusing the critical messages.
The book shows how working with self-criticism can help you reconnect with inherent resources such as unconditional confidence, vitality, peace, connectedness, joy and love. As you experience these resources more frequently, self-criticism can begin to dissolve without the need to fight it.
You can use the book for your own benefit or as an invaluable resource in your work as a coach or therapist.
Transforming Self-Criticism
£29.95
Physical paperback
plus delivery in the UK
Supported payment methods
What people say about the book
Does self-criticism play a role in your life?
- Do you replay conversations and think about what you should have said differently?
- Do you notice mistakes more readily than things you’ve done well?
- Do you push yourself with criticism because you’re afraid you’ll otherwise become complacent?
- Do you find it difficult to feel satisfied with what you’ve accomplished?
- Do you know intellectually that your self-criticism isn’t helping — but still cannot stop it?
- Do you criticise yourself for being self-critical?
If so, the problem may not be that you haven’t tried hard enough to stop self-criticism. Rather, you may not fully understand the processes that produce it and make it seem necessary.
What you get
- The well-tested model for working with self-criticism.
- Concrete methods for recognising self-criticism — including non-obvious forms
- A model for understanding how self-criticism functions both at the parts and the systemic level of the personality
- 15 practical methods for transforming destructive self-criticism into effortless self-confidence & supportive self-love
- Reflection exercises you can use to integrate the material from each chapter
- Over two decades worth of experience working with clients individually and in groups
- A system for working with self-criticism that goes beyond the psychological dimension and far into the spiritual dimension
The book can be used for your own development or as a resource if you work professionally as a therapist, psychologist, counsellor or coach.
Transforming Self-Criticism
£29.95
Including delivery in the UK
Supported payment methods
Table of Content (free sample sections in chapter 1)
1.1. What is inner criticism, and how did it develop?
1.1.1. Rules for living
1.1.2. Methods of enforcing rules for living
1.2. Why disengage from inner criticism? (CLICK TO READ)
1.2.1. Inner criticism prevents refinement of thinking and acting (CLICK TO READ)
1.2.2. Inner criticism is counterproductive (CLICK TO READ)
1.2.3. Inner criticism blocks creative imagination (CLICK TO READ)
1.2.4. Inner criticism is paralysing
1.3. Why do people not disengage from inner criticism?
1.3.1. Inner criticism is not your conscience
1.3.2. Inner criticism is not your only source of motivation
1.3.3. Inner criticism is not your source of parental love
1.3.4. Disengaging from inner criticism is not a betrayal of the parents
1.4. How to engage with the exercises in this book
1.4.1. Pay attention to your inner felt sense
1.4.2. Stay receptive and see what you are looking with
1.4.3. Assume that there are no inner enemies
1.4.4. Look at what came before
1.4.5. Notice and savour the relief
1.5. Chapter summary
2.1. Why is inner criticism difficult to detect?
2.1.1. Inner criticism is very familiar
2.1.2. Inner criticism is inconsistent
2.1.3. Inner criticism is constantly evolving
2.1.4. Inner criticism can appear as your own rational opinion
2.1.5. Inner criticism can feel instinctual
2.1.6. Inner criticism creates a sense of urgency that leaves no room for reflection
2.2. The main ways of detecting inner criticism
2.2.1. Detecting inner criticism by noticing deficiency emotions
2.2.2. Detecting inner criticism by noticing deficiency motivation
2.2.3. Others’ criticism of you
2.2.4. Your own criticism of others
2.2.5. Conspicuously absent thoughts, emotions, and behaviours
2.2.6. Working with inner criticism that is triggered in social situations
2.3. Chapter summary
3.1. Journaling
3.1.1. The situation
3.1.2. The behaviour, emotion, or thought that is criticised
3.1.3. Negative interpretation: The message of inner criticism
3.1.4. Deficiency-emotions: The emotion inner criticism generates in you
3.1.5. Deficiency-motivated reactions: Your reaction to inner criticism
3.1.6. Themes
3.2. The voices of inner criticism
3.2.1. The voice of judgment – put-downs, negative labels, and shame
3.2.2. The voice of fear – threats, scary scenarios, and fear
3.2.3. The voice of cynicism – devaluation, reduction, and disappointment
3.2.4. Combinations of the voices
3.2.5. Subtler versions of the voices
3.2.6. The voices and inner parts
3.2.7. Voices of criticism beyond judgement, threat, and cynicism
3.2.8. Inner criticism as conditioned responses and as modelled behaviour
3.2.9. Dealing with anger towards your parents triggered by work on inner criticism
3.3. Reactions to inner criticism
3.3.1. Complying
3.3.2. Combating
3.3.3. Collapsing
3.3.4. Combinations
3.3.5. Defence mechanisms as reactions to inner criticism
3.4. Criticism as generative force: Reactions as criticism and criticism of reactions
3.5. Chapter summary
4.1. The role of inner felt sense
4.2. Methods to disengaging from inner criticism
4.2.1. Path 1: Disengaging by not engaging
4.2.2. Path 2: Researching and cataloguing inner criticism
4.2.3. Path 3: Comparing the purpose and effect of inner criticism
4.2.4. Path 4: Laughing at the absurdity of inner criticism
4.2.5. Path 5: Owning back the strength and vitality of the inner criticism
4.2.6. Path 6: Taking the jewel from the mouth of the snake
4.2.7. Path 7: Turning awareness to what is beyond inner criticism
4.2.8. Path 8: Embracing the felt sense of loss
4.2.9. Path 9: Embracing the felt sense of pain and vulnerability
4.2.10. Path 10: Embracing the felt sense of parts you dislike in yourself (and in others)
4.2.11. Path 11: Disengaging from positive and negative self-concepts
4.2.12. Path 12: Allowing everything, including inner criticism, to move freely
4.2.13. Path 13: Appreciating the intension of parts that voice inner criticism
4.2.14. Path 14: Appreciating the intension of parts that listen to inner criticism
4.2.15. Path 15: Receiving the honey
4.2.16. Combinations of paths
4.3. Chapter summary
Author: Claus Springborg, PhD
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Sensing Mind Institute
Language: English
ISBN: 978-87-971771-2-9
Product dimensions: 6×9 inches / 152 x 229 mm
About Claus Springborg
Claus Springborg, PhD, is the founder of Sensing Mind Institute. His work brings together psychotherapy, cognitive science and contemplative traditions to explore how people can transform deeply embedded psychological patterns.
His doctoral research at Cranfield University drew on cognitive metaphor theory and embodied cognition, and his academic work has been published in books and journals covering education, therapy, cognitive science and leadership.
For more than two decades, he has studied and taught approaches to psychological and personal development and worked with therapists, psychologists, coaches, leaders and others working professionally with people.
Questions you might have
- Is the book in English? Yes. Transforming Self-Criticism is written in English.
- Is delivery included? Yes. The £29.95 price includes delivery to addresses in the UK.
- Is this book only for therapists? No. The book is designed both for people wanting to work with their own self-criticism and professionals such as therapists, psychologists, counsellors and coaches.
Transforming Self-Criticism
£29.95
Including delivery the UK
Supported payment methods