Why Is My Inner Critic So Mean? How IFS Therapy Helps You Understand the Voice in Your Head

You make one mistake at work. Nothing catastrophic. Maybe you forgot to respond to an email, stumbled over your words in a meeting, or realized you could have handled something differently. Most people would probably think: "Oops. I'll fix it." But your brain? "You're so stupid." "They're going to think you're incompetent." "Why can't you ever get anything right?" "You should have known better." And suddenly, one small mistake has turned into a full-blown trial in your head, and somehow, you're the defendant, prosecutor, and judge.