Freedom From the Inner Critic: An Interactive Series
Is your inner critic relentless? Does the judge inside stifle your creativity and spiritual growth? This interactive series will help you understand, confront, and ultimately liberate yourself from this destructive voice.
Whether you have been working with the inner critic for years or are new to the practice, this series will strengthen your ability to identify and effectively move beyond common barriers. A powerful dimension of the series is to share the journey of recovery with others. More info on the individual sessions below.
Free introduction session:
Tuesday January 19, 2027 — see if this series is right for you!
Full Series:
Six sessions on Zoom — Tuesday evenings 6:00-8:00 pm
January 26
February 9 and 23
March 9 and 23
April 6
Cost: $240
*Limited to 15 participants.
More Information:
FAQs
What is included in the 2 hour session?
This is a live, zoomed class which will include a teaching portion, reflective exercises, small group sharing and time for questions and comments.
Is there any homework or practices to work on between sessions?
Yes. Each session will include an optional follow up practice for you to engage in the time between sessions. You may also read specific chapters from the book that informs the series--Soul Without Shame: A Guide to Liberating Yourself From The Judge Within by Byron Brown.
What's the benefit of doing this exploration in a group?
Shame can arise when we come closer to the inner critic and it may be difficult intially to share this part of ourselves with others and even ourselves. What you can discover is that you are not alone and that other's journeys can support your own. There is also an accontability that comes with making a commitment to show up for each session and to engage the practices together.
The exploration of the inner critic can be scary and painful. How do you work with that?
This is a painful dimension of our inner lives that carries over into our relationships, work, and well being. Support and care are essential in the group process, as well as a willingness to explore at your own pace. Recognizing the pain inflicted by the inner critic opens us up to the strength to stand up for ourselves and to hold with compassion the parts of ourselves that may be confused, ashamed, angry or hurt as we enter into this process.
What others are saying about
Freedom from the Inner Critic
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"I have a greater sense of freedom from the critic and some strategies for growing that. I appreciated particularly the vulnerability of the other participants and everyone's open-hearted acceptance of me."
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"The course has helped me to become more aware of the ways that my inner critic has ruled my thoughts, actions, and reactions. I also learned things I can do to increase my awareness and options for how I might deal with the critic when it is attacking me or others."
The Series Sessions
Session #1: Who and What is the inner Critic?
In our first session, we will explore the origins and function of the inner critic. We will learn to recognize its impact through the head, heart, and belly centers, and understand how it interferes with our creative process. By identifying this relationship, we can begin to see how the inner critic shapes our thoughts and feelings, often hindering the aliveness and spontaneity at the heart of our life and creativity.
Session #2: Recognizing Judgments and Inner Resources
In this session we will identify where we are most vulnerable to attacks from our inner critic. We'll also explore aspects of our “true self” separating us from the inner critic and reconnecting us with our inner resources for support and guidance.
Session #3: Ways We Stay Engaged with the Inner Critic
Here, we uncover the mechanisms we use to stay engaged with the inner critic, such as rationalizing, counterattacking, and collapsing. By recognizing these patterns, we can start to disengage and move towards more authenticity.
Session #4: The Judgment Cycle
In this session, we examine the dynamic between the inner child and the inner judge. Understanding this cycle will help us create a path to disengage from the harsh judgments of the inner critic, fostering a more compassionate relationship with ourselves.
Session #5: Strategies for Disengagement
This session focuses on strategies for defending against the inner judge and standing up for ourselves. We will learn practical techniques to assert our true self and build resilience against the inner critic, paving the way for a more confident and empowered creative journey.
Session #6: Recapping the Process
In our last session we will review key elements and practices. Time will be devoted to questions or scenarios that participants want to explore further.
Registration for the series.
Click here to register for the free introductory event!
About the Facilitator
Sheryl Lyndes Stowman, M. Div. (she/her) has had a lifelong love of the mysterious and creative Presence we often call the Divine or True Nature. This brought her early in life into the Christian ministry and following a Christian contemplative path. She spent 33 years as a clinical pastoral educator guiding ministers, religious leaders, chaplains and educators in personal and professional development. This is where she delved deeply into psychological understandings of personality and spiritual development. She also trained in spiritual guidance from an eco-feminist perspective and practices as a spiritual director. In addition, she was drawn to the wisdom of Diamond Approach, as a path of inner spiritual work, and has been a student of this approach for 19 years and an active ordained teacher since 2022.