About this Event
Befriending & Unhooking the Inner Critic
Exploring why logical reassurance backfires and how to help youth recognize, externalize, and "unhook" from the harsh, self-critical Advisor.. MI Skill: Ask-Tell-Ask
Ever tried using logic with an anxious teen and felt the argument explode?
Here’s why.
When a teenager is fused with a harsh inner critic ("I'm a failure," "Everyone hates me"), offering well-meaning logical reassurance often backfires. Why? Because the teen’s cognitive Advisor perceives its survival authority as threatened and responds with counterarguments—entangling adults in a debate that makes the negative thought even more dominant.
In Part 2 of the BOLD Living Training Series, we shift the paradigm from arguing with negative thoughts to experiential defusion ("unhooking"):
- Name the Story: Teach youth to recognize recurring cognitive traps ("Oh, look, there’s the 'I never fit in' story again").
- Insert Distance: Use language prefixes like "I’m noticing my mind is having the thought that..."
- The Teflon Mind: Learning to let self-critical thoughts slip past without sticking or dragging the teen under.
Learn how to teach teens to unhook from self-criticism without getting trapped in endless debates.
and how to get all the Two Tents Tools.
Event venue & nearby stays
RENEW COUNSELING CENTER, 11695 S. Black Bob Road, Olathe, United States
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