The Female Brain & The Inner Critic
Neuroscience-Informed Strategies to Reduce Shame, Quiet Self-Attack, and Restore Inner Safety
- Speaker:
- Betsy Holmberg, PhD
- Duration:
- 1 Hour
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
Apr 30, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS150780
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
Your women clients are stuck in harsh self-criticism—replaying mistakes, questioning their worth, and feeling overwhelmed by an inner voice that never seems to quiet. Negative self-talk isn’t just a mindset issue; it’s driven by brain networks shaped by stress, hormones, trauma, and lifelong social conditioning—and the nervous system pays the price.
In this session, you’ll get clear, brain-based tools to understand where negative self-talk comes from and how to treat it more effectively.
You’ll learn:
- How the DMN, CEN, and salience network drive patterns of self-criticism, anxiety, and rumination
- How gender-specific factors like fatigue, hormones, trauma, and social conditioning intensify negative self-talk
- How to match evidence-based and adjunctive interventions to a client’s neurobiological presentation
Credit
Speaker
Betsy Holmberg, PhD Related seminars and products
Betsy Holmberg, PhD, is an award-winning psychologist and author specializing in overthinking and negative self-talk. She writes for Psychology Today and has been featured on radio, television, and podcasts. Before settling into writing and therapy, Betsy ran the global behavioral health service line at McKinsey & Company, a premier consulting firm. She also worked at Harvard and co-authored several peer-reviewed academic journal articles on non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal thoughts. She is trained in EMDR, Cognitive-Behavioral and Dialectical Behavioral therapies. Betsy received her doctorate, master’s and BA in psychology from Duke University.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Betsy Holmberg is an author with New Harbinger Publications and Psychology Today. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Betsy Holmberg has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
Questions?
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Additional CE Info
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.
Objectives
After the presentation, participants will be able to:
- Define the core functions of the default mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN), and salience network (SN) with key brain regions, thought patterns, and roles in mental illness.
- Identify at least four gender-specific and contextual factors that intensify negative self-talk (e.g., fatigue, stress, hormones, trauma, substance use, social conditioning).
- Select evidence-based treatment approaches and therapy-adjacent tools for negative self-talk according to client presentation, history, and traits.
Outline
The Neuroscience of Negative Self-Talk
- Overview of thought network architecture: DMN, CEN, and SN)
- Brain regions involved, core functions, and how networks interact
- How network imbalance contributes to depression, anxiety, and suicidality
Gender-Specific Inputs and Risk Pathways
- Female-specific influences on thought networks, including social conditioning, trauma exposure, violence statistics, and income inequality
- External and physiological factors that shape network connectivity and function
Brain “Safety Protocols” and Dysregulation
- How perceived threat deactivates the CEN and activates the DMN
- Common triggers and patterning, with female-specific callouts:
- Fatigue and insomnia
- Chronic stress
- Hormonal shifts
- Substance use
- Trauma and relational threat
Evidence-Based Treatments and Network Change
- How CBT, DBT, EMDR, IFS, and hypnosis influence thought networks
- Matching treatment approach to client presentation, history, and traits
- Clinical decision-making through a neurobiological lens
Therapy-Adjacent Tools for Support and Integration
Review of complementary tools (e.g., meditation, binaural beats, shaking)
The neuroscience behind how these tools may support regulation and flexibility
Clear boundaries between evidence-based treatment and adjunctive practices
A New Clinical Paradigm
- Re-evaluating common clinical language around negative self-talk
- Introducing stigma-reducing, neuroscience-informed ways to assess and discuss inner dialogue
- Practical exercises clinicians can share with clients to interrupt negative self-talk in daily life
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- Psychiatrists
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Addiction Counselors
- Other Mental Health Professionals
Reviews
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