It’s important to honor all our clients’ inner parts in therapy. Accessing, understanding, and reframing even frightening and confusing Inner Critics as protective—and exploring why they show up as they do—is especially important to fully engage in healing work. But how can we—creatively, safely, and effectively—help clients access and interact with these parts and move toward wholeness. In this workshop, we’ll consider key concepts from Internal Family Systems and inner-child work, and explore expressive modalities that help clients access internal parts that hold judgment and shame, while also bringing the curiosity, creativity, and kindness that comes from Self- clients’ wisest, most compassionate part. You’ll explore: 

• Creative techniques for accessing and reducing inner criticism 
• Cognitive reframes and writing exercises to bring both life-enhancing and shaming parts into fuller awareness  
• Somatic resourcing techniques, such as Focusing, figure-eight rock, and physical embodiment, to help deepen connections and communication with internal parts 
• Creative strategies to soften critical parts and heighten internal safety, including safe place art and breath work