Shame Counseling and Self-Criticism Therapy
Looking for treatment for your shame feelings and self-criticism?
We offer shame counseling for residents of Seattle, Bellevue and Washington State.
Is Chronic Shame and Self-Criticism Making You Your Own Worst Enemy?
Shame counseling can help.
Do you often talk to yourself in critical or shaming ways?
You talk to yourself in ways you would never talk to a friend?
Do you find that you doubt yourself and think others’ opinions, thoughts and needs are above your own or that you are “bad” in some way?
Wouldn’t it be great to let go of these feelings, work through them and learn to trust yourself without the internal distress of doubting and criticizing how you feel, think or behave?
With therapy for shame and self-criticism, you can work through your shaming and critical voice and learn how it impacts your life and relationships, and begin to thrive without the weight of being your own worst enemy.
Schedule a Free 15-Minute Consultation to see if Talk. Heal. Thrive. is a fit for you.
Our Shame Treatment & Self-Criticism Therapists:
Steve Stetter
MA, LMHC
Laura Matthews
MA, LMHC
Marte White
MSW, LICSW
Alyx Aiello
MS, LMHC
Lindsey Ferris
MS, LMFTA
Have you ever noticed a deep sense of feeling flawed or as though you are a terrible person? Do you think this way when you have interactions or situations and beat yourself up repeatedly with criticism or shaming yourself?
Chronic shame and self-criticism are often instilled in childhood from our relationship with our parents and how they fostered or didn’t foster emotional well-being. Clients often report thoughts such as:
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Thoughts telling you how bad of a person you are?
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Anxious about how others perceive you and assume it’s in a negative light?
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Do you beat yourself up for mistakes, no matter how big or small they are?
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Have friends or family told you that you are hard on yourself?
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Do you think you aren’t deserving of love unless you accomplish X, Y, or Z?
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Assume people are mad at you if you don’t hear back from them when you think you should?
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Looking for validation from others that you are ok
You can gain insight into where your shame and self-criticism come from and how it is impacted your life. You can also work to reduce it or remove it from your internal dialogue with a therapist.
Chronic shame and self-criticism can impact your mental health significantly with anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, fatigue, self-esteem, and confidence. Toxic shame and self-criticism lead to consistent negative emotions and thoughts about yourself. This makes it challenging to have healthy relationships as you may find yourself in relationships where your words and feelings of shame and self-criticism are being validated by your partner or friends. Breaking the shame and self-criticism cycle can help you have a better relationship with yourself and others.
Therapy can help you understand where this shame comes from, how to learn to observe how you talk to yourself, and begin working with self-compassion to change your relationships with your self-talk. This can impact the type of relationships you have and improve your overall mental health.