Self-Criticism & Shame
When the hardest person to be around is yourself.
You may be compassionate toward everyone else and relentlessly critical of yourself.
There is usually more underneath the symptom.
Self-criticism and shame can become deeply familiar ways of trying to stay safe, successful, acceptable, or in control. The voice may sound like motivation, but it often leaves you smaller and more exhausted.
You do not have to arrive with the perfect explanation or diagnosis. We can start with what you are noticing now and make sense of the pattern together.
Understanding first. Change at a pace that fits.
Therapy can help you understand the protective job of self-criticism, work with the beliefs underneath it, and develop a more grounded relationship with yourself without pretending everything is positive.
My approach may draw from EMDR, parts/ego-state work, nervous-system regulation, ACT, CBT, and other evidence-informed strategies depending on what fits you.
See How I Work →You don't have to be in crisis to begin.
Maybe this is your second sunrise.
You don't have to know exactly what's wrong before you reach out.
See If We’re a Good Fit