“To varying degrees, all people are divided within themselves and have a basic conflict in relation to their goals and aspirations in life. On the one hand, they have feelings of warm self-regard, and traits and behaviors that they like or feel comfortable within themselves. On the other hand, they have a harsh, judgmental, and critical view of themselves.”
- Glendon.org
Living a life based on what is important to me is one of the most fundamental objectives that clients work toward achieving. This potential split between what I believe on the inside and what I am living on the outside drives one to a desire for an authentic lifestyle. Many of us are still living a life based off the blueprints that were given to us by our caregivers. When we are not living in consistency with our true inner values, various conflicts will arise in our relationships and performance that can lead to physical and mental issues. At the Glendon Association, Dr. Robert Firestone describes the punitive nature of mind as the “critical voice.”
In therapy, it is essential to resolve the inner conflicts that are leading to the defended ways of living that prevent us from experiencing our true selves.
“The critical inner voice can be thought of as the language of the defensive process. It has been defined as an integrated system of thoughts and attitudes, antithetical toward self and hostile toward others that is at the core of an individual’s maladaptive behavior. The concept of the “voice” is not restricted to cognitive processes but is generally associated with varying degrees of anger and sadness.”
- R. Firestone