Forging a Healing Alliance with the Inner Critic:
The protective purpose of trauma-related parts
with Dr Janina Fisher
10 October 2026 | 9.00am – 12.00pm AEDT
The inner critic gets a bad rap. Yes, we know negative self-talk is harmful and intrusive self-judgments can result in lifelong guilt, self-loathing, hopelessness, and shame. But the inner critic is also a useful adaptation in a dangerous world. Self-rejection and self-criticism are a way children maintain their attachment to abusive attachment figures.
So how do we work effectively with it in therapy, acknowledging its original purpose while undoing its destructive power? In this workshop, you’ll learn to help clients cultivate mindful awareness of the inner critic so they can overcome its familiar, trauma-related thought patterns. You’ll discover powerful strategies for challenging it as a truth teller and understanding it as an anxious, protective, trauma-related part. You’ll learn to help clients:
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Reframe the inner critic as a childhood protector using practical strategies from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, IFS, and TIST
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Recognize the signs of trauma-related parts and their internal conflicts
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Lessen the inner critic’s intimidating power while viewing it as a fellow victim of an abusive environment
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Transform a client’s relationship to their inner critic
Learning Objectives
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Describe the adaptive value of self-criticism and self-shame (Terizzi & Shook, 2020)
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Identify behavioural effects of internal critical voices or thoughts (Volpato et al, 2022)
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Implement mindfulness-based interventions for noticing critical thoughts (Goldberg et al, 2022)
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Employ parts interventions for helping clients develop increased self-compassion (Neff, 2022; Lanius et al, 2020)
Registration:
Super Saver Price: Individual $AUD170 | Groups 3+ $AUD150 Until 28 August 2026
Early Bird Price: Individual $AUD190 | Group 3+ $AUD170 Until 25 September 2026
Standard Price: Individual $AUD210 | Group 3+ $AUD190
Student Price: $AUD120
Website: Forging a Healing Alliance with the Inner Critic: The protective purpose of trauma-related parts
