Our inner dialogue reflects our deepest vulnerability. It holds so much power over how we view and treat ourselves and how we are able to engage with the world. As a therapist, it’s common for me to hear statements such as “I’m so stupid”, “I’m useless”, “I am the biggest failure in the world”, “I don’t deserve anything good to happen to me”.

These words are deeply painful and defeating. We would never say these statements to anyone we care about, even to strangers, but allow this to be a familiar repertoire of self-talk. Why do we do this?