You haven’t even had your morning coffee yet, but the voice is already there—listing off your inadequacies. You didn’t do enough yesterday. You’re hopelessly behind. You’ve never been able to keep up. You open your phone and start to scroll, and the thought comes: everyone else is doing everything better than you. Most of us have some version of that voice, and because it sounds so familiar, we often mistake it for the truth. In Part One of this two-part conversation, Right Here hosts Christopher Mooney, LCSW and Kenyon Phillips, LMSW explore the inner critic: what it is, where it comes from, why we believe it, and how to start relating to it differently. Through the lenses of shame, comparison, anger, limiting stories, anxiety, creativity, parenting, recovery, and self-worth, Christopher and Kenyon examine the difference between healthy self-reflection and self-attack. The conversation looks at how the critic often develops from a collage of old voices, expectations, cultural messages, and attempts at protection, then becomes so internalized that it starts to sound like you. The episode also offers a practical path toward working with the inner critic without pretending it will disappear overnight: noticing and naming it, externalizing the voice, asking what it is trying to protect, and inviting in a kinder and more accurate voice to assess your value. You are not the voice inside your head that rips everything you do to shreds. You are the one who can notice that voice, question it, and decide whether it deserves to be in charge.

To book a free consultation with Christopher, Kenyon, or the other providers at Lumen Therapy Collective, visit lumentherapycollective.com.

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Right Here is a podcast partnership with WPKN 89.5 FM in Bridgeport, CT. This content is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, or treatment. If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact local emergency services or a trusted mental health professional.