ABSTRACT

Development – The people in your head So many people’s lives are blighted by having critical voices in their heads, who judge them, shame them, criticise them as they go about their daily lives. These ‘inner critics’ are usually internalised figures from the past and often from childhood in particular. If these inner critics are to lose their power, then the person also needs inner world figures who are powerfully benign: supporters, encouragers and protectors. So in this development, ask the participant to do a drawing or sandplay, or make a set of clay figures representing the people in their head, both the benign and the critical. Ask them to then enact a mini psychodrama where their inner supporters speak to their inner critics. Or if they are working in clay or doing sandplay, the participant can be encouraged to change things around, replace, throw out, reduce in size, etc. as appropriate.