Author Archives: Shervan K Shahhian, LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, The Most Comprehensive Online Library Regarding Mental Health, Psychology and Parapsychology in the World.

Doctored Degree in Clinical Psychology (PSYD) (ABD) All But Dissertation, a Masters (M.A.) in Clinical Psychology, a Bachelor's Degree (B.A.) in Psychology, a Associate Degree (AA) in Liberal Arts with an emphases in Psychology, Certification in Anger Management, Certification in MRT-Moral Reconation Therapy®, Certification in Clinical Hypnotherapy, and Certification in Advanced Hypnotherapy.

Grief & Loss Recovery Support and Therapy, an explanation:

Grief & Loss Recovery Support refers to the range of emotional, psychological, social, and sometimes spiritual services that help people process and adapt to the experience of loss. The loss can involve many things, not only death.

Types of Loss People Seek Support For

Grief support may address losses such as:

Death of a loved one
Divorce or relationship breakup
Loss of health or disability
Loss of a job or career
Loss of identity or life role (retirement, empty nest)
Loss after trauma or disaster
Existential or spiritual crisis

In psychology, grief might often be understood as an adaptive process of adjusting to a changed reality.

Main Forms of Grief & Loss Recovery Support

1. Grief Counseling

Provided by psychologists, therapists, or licensed counselors.

Goals:

Process painful emotions
Integrate memories of the lost person or life situation
Reduce complicated grief reactions
Restore functioning and meaning

Approaches might include:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Meaning-Centered Therapy
Complicated Grief Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy

2. Grief Support Groups

Peer-based groups where individuals share experiences with others who have had similar losses.

Benefits:

Reduces isolation
Normalizes grief reactions
Provides community validation
Encourages emotional expression

These may be hosted by:

Hospitals
Community centers
Religious organizations
Bereavement programs

3. Bereavement Coaching / Grief Coaching

More practical and guidance-focused than therapy.

Coaches might help with:

Daily life adjustment
Decision-making after loss
Rebuilding life routines
Meaning reconstruction

4. End-of-Life & Bereavement Support

Support before and after death through roles such as:

End-of-Life Doula
Death Midwife

They help families with:

Emotional preparation
Rituals and closure
grief transition

5. Spiritual or Existential Support

Some individuals seek support from:

clergy or spiritual advisors
existential therapists
meditation teachers

This is common when grief triggers questions about meaning, consciousness, or the nature of existence.

Psychological Goals of Grief Recovery

Modern grief psychology does not aim to “eliminate grief.” Instead, it helps a person:

Accept the reality of loss
Process emotional pain
Adjust to a new life structure
Maintain a healthy continuing bond with what was lost
Rediscover meaning and purpose

Signs Someone May Need Professional Support

Grief counseling is often recommended if a person experiences:

persistent numbness or despair
inability to function months after loss
severe guilt or self-blame
suicidal thinking
prolonged isolation

This condition may relate to Prolonged Grief Disorder.

Interesting psychological insight:
Some research shows grief recovery improves when people can tell the story of their loss in a coherent narrative, which is why both therapy and support groups are effective.

Shervan K Shahhian

The Internal Moral Judge, explained:

The internal moral judge is a psychological concept referring to the part of the mind that evaluates your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors according to moral standards, what you believe is right or wrong.

Core Idea

The internal moral judge might act like an inner authority that:

Monitors your behavior
Judges whether you acted morally or immorally
Produces emotions such as guilt, shame, or pride

It develops through:

Parents and caregivers
Cultural norms
Religious or ethical teachings
Social learning and experience

Possible Psychological Functions

The internal moral judge helps regulate behavior by:

1. Self-evaluation

“Was what I did right?”

2. Moral restraint

Prevents harmful or antisocial behavior.

3. Conscience formation

Guides ethical decision-making.

4. Social adaptation

Helps people live within social rules.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Internal Moral Judge

Healthy

Encourages responsibility
Supports empathy
Promotes ethical growth

Unhealthy (overly harsh)

Constant guilt
Perfectionism
Severe self-criticism
Internalized shame

This overly harsh version might often overlap with what psychology calls the inner critic.

Related Psychological Concepts

Conscience
Moral reasoning
Self-criticism
Cognitive dissonance

Example

If someone lies to a friend, the internal moral judge might say:

“That was wrong. You should tell the truth.”

This internal response produces guilt, motivating the person to apologize or correct the behavior.

Shervan K Shahhian

Self-Evaluative Thinking, what is it:

Self-evaluative thinking is the mental process in which a person reflects on and judges their own thoughts, feelings, behavior, abilities, or character. It is essentially the mind evaluating itself.

Core Idea

It involves questions like:

“Did I do that well?”
“Was that the right thing to say?”
“Am I a good person?”
“Why did I react that way?”

This type of thinking is part of self-reflection and self-awareness and helps people understand themselves and regulate behavior.

Possible Key Psychological Components

Self-assessment
Evaluating one’s performance, actions, or decisions.
Self-judgment
Deciding whether something about oneself is good, bad, adequate, or inadequate.
Self-monitoring
Observing one’s own behavior while it happens.
Comparison with standards
Comparing oneself with:
- personal values
- social norms
- expectations
- other people.

Healthy vs. Unhealthy Self-Evaluative Thinking

Healthy Form	Unhealthy Form
Constructive self-reflection	Harsh self-criticism
Learning from mistakes	Rumination
Realistic self-appraisal	Perfectionism
Growth-oriented	Shame-based thinking

Excessive negative self-evaluation could often be linked to:

low self-esteem
depression
anxiety
the inner critic.

Example

After giving a presentation:

Balanced self-evaluation:
“I was nervous, but I explained the key points well. Next time I can improve the ending.”
Harsh self-evaluation:
“I completely embarrassed myself. I’m terrible at this.”

In Psychology

Self-evaluative thinking is could be closely related to concepts like:

Self-esteem
Self-concept
Metacognition
Rumination

These processes help shape identity, emotional regulation, and decision making.

In short:
Self-evaluative thinking: the mind observing and judging itself.

Shervan K Shahhian

Hypervigilant self-Monitoring, explained:

Hypervigilant self-monitoring is a psychological pattern in which a person might constantly and intensely observes their own thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and behavior, often out of fear of making mistakes, being judged, or losing control.

Core Idea

It combines two processes:

Hypervigilance: a heightened state of alertness usually associated with perceived threat.
Self-monitoring: the act of observing and regulating one’s own behavior and internal experiences.

When combined, the person might become overly focused on themselves, scanning for problems or flaws.

Typical Characteristics

People experiencing hypervigilant self-monitoring might:

Constantly analyze what they say or do
Monitor facial expressions, tone of voice, or body language
Watch for signs that others are judging or rejecting them
Repeatedly check their thoughts or feelings to see if they are “normal”
Notice and worry about small bodily sensations
Feel mentally exhausted from continuous self-evaluation

Possible Psychological Context

Hypervigilant self-monitoring might appear in:

Social anxiety
Trauma and PTSD
Perfectionism
Obsessive-compulsive tendencies
Shame-based upbringing or chronic criticism

The mind’s threat detection system might become overactive, causing the person to treat ordinary social or internal experiences as potential danger.

Possible Psychological Effects

Long-term hypervigilant self-monitoring might lead to:

Increased anxiety
Self-consciousness
Difficulty being spontaneous
Mental fatigue
Amplified perception of bodily sensations
Reduced sense of authenticity

In some social situations, it can create a paradox:
the more someone monitors themselves, the more anxious and unnatural they feel.

Clinical Perspective

In possibly in therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-based therapies, treatment often focuses on:

Reducing excessive self-focused attention
Redirecting awareness to the external environment
Learning non-judgmental awareness of thoughts
Challenging catastrophic self-evaluations

In simple terms:
Hypervigilant self-monitoring is when the mind turns into a constant internal surveillance system, watching oneself for mistakes or danger.

Shervan K Shahhian

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), an explanation:

Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is a psychological treatment that combines mindfulness meditation practices with principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It could have been originally developed to help people prevent relapse in depression, but it could be also used for anxiety, stress, and emotional regulation.

Core Idea

MBCT teaches people to observe their thoughts and emotions without automatically reacting to them.

Instead of trying to change or fight thoughts, you learn to notice them as mental events, “just thoughts,” not facts.

Example:

Thought: “I’m a failure.”
Traditional reaction: Believe it and feel worse.
MBCT approach: “I notice my mind is producing a self-critical thought.”

This creates psychological distance from the inner critic.

Key Components

MBCT usually could run as an 8-week program with group sessions.

1. Mindfulness Meditation

Participants practice:

Breath awareness
Body scan meditation
Mindful walking
Mindful eating

These practices strengthen attention and awareness of the present moment.

2. Cognitive Awareness

People learn to notice:

automatic negative thoughts
self-critical inner dialogue
rumination patterns

This is especially relevant to depression relapse, where people often fall back into habitual thinking loops.

3. Decentering

One of the most important MBCT skills.

Decentering: seeing thoughts as mental events, not reality.

Example:
Instead of “This thought is true,” the shift becomes:

“I’m noticing that my mind is generating this thought.”

4. Breaking the Rumination Cycle

MBCT helps interrupt cycles like:

negative mood
self-critical thinking
rumination
worsening mood

Mindfulness interrupts the loop before it spirals.

Conditions MBCT Helps

Research shows benefits for:

recurrent major depression
anxiety disorders
chronic stress
trauma-related rumination
emotional dysregulation

Many studies show MBCT can reduce relapse in depression by ~40–50% in people with multiple past episodes.

A Simple MBCT Exercise

3-Minute Breathing Space

Awareness
Notice what is present: thoughts, feelings, body sensations.
Breathing
Focus attention on the breath.
Expanding
Expand awareness to the whole body.

This short practice is used to interrupt automatic negative thinking.

Possible Psychological Mechanism

MBCT could work through:

metacognitive awareness
reduced cognitive fusion
improved emotional regulation
decreased rumination

It could train the mind to move from “doing mode” to “being mode.”

Interesting Information

MBCT is interesting, because:

intense self-monitoring and inner criticism can suppress intuitive cognition
mindfulness reduces cognitive noise and evaluative filtering

Many researchers believe mindfulness increases open monitoring awareness, which may facilitate subtle perception and intuition.

Shervan K Shahhian

Intense Inner Criticism Might Block Intuitive Perception or Creative Cognition, why:

Intense inner criticism might block intuitive perception and creative cognition because it activates psychological processes that might interfere with the mental states required for intuition and creativity. Several mechanisms could be involved:

1. Threat Activation in the Brain

When the inner critic becomes harsh, the brain might interpret it as a threat.

Certain parts of the brain, might activate a stress response.
Stress hormones might (like cortisol) increase.
The mind might shift into defensive or survival mode.

This state might suppress the open, associative thinking needed for creativity and intuition.

2. Overactivation of the Analytical Mind

Intuition might to emerge from quiet, non-linear processing.

However, intense self-criticism might force excessive activity in the mind, particularly areas involved in:

self-monitoring
error detection
judgment

This produces hyper-analytical thinking, which might crowd out subtle intuitive signals.

3. Cognitive Load and Mental Noise

Harsh self-evaluation might create constant mental commentary:

“That idea is stupid.”
“You’re wrong.”
“You shouldn’t think that.”

This internal noise might interfere with spontaneous insights that arise from the Default Mode Network, a brain network that could be associated with imagination, internal reflection, and creative incubation.

4. Suppression of Psychological Safety

Creativity might require permission to explore imperfect ideas.

An intense inner critic:

punishes mistakes
discourages risk-taking
blocks experimentation

Without psychological safety, the mind might stop generating novel associations.

5. Reduced Access to Implicit Processing

Intuition could relay on implicit processing information that the brain has learned but cannot easily verbalize.

Harsh internal judgment disrupts this because it demands immediate logical proof, preventing intuitive impressions from surfacing.

6. Interruption of “Flow States”

Flow requires:

relaxed concentration
reduced self-consciousness
minimal self-judgment

The inner critic might do the opposite, it might increase self-conscious monitoring, which might break the flow state.

Psychological Summary

Intense inner criticism produces:

fear of error
hyper-analysis
cognitive overload
suppression of exploratory thinking

All of these block the mental conditions could be required for intuition and creativity.

A Useful Psychological Paradox

Many creative and intuitive breakthroughs occur after the mind relaxes—during:

meditation
daydreaming
walking
sleep transitions

These states quiet the inner critic, allowing deeper cognitive processes to emerge.

Shervan K Shahhian

Softening the Inner Critic, how:

Softening the “inner critic” means reducing the harsh, self-judging voice in your mind and replacing it with a more balanced, compassionate internal dialogue. In psychology, the inner critic is linked to patterns like self-evaluative thinking, automatic negative thoughts, and chronic self-criticism.

It could be a mix of internalized authority figures, maladaptive schemas, and overactive self-monitoring.

Here are some possible effective approaches used in psychology:

1. Identify the Inner Critic Voice

The first step is awareness.

The inner critic usually sounds like:

“I’m not good enough.”
“I always mess things up.”
“People will judge me.”

There could be examples of the scientific concept Automatic Negative Thoughts described in Aaron T. Beck’s cognitive theory.

Practice:
Write down the thoughts when they appear. Seeing them on paper weakens their authority.

2. Separate the Critic from the Self

Treat the critic as a mental part, not your identity.

Instead of:

“I am a failure.”

Try:

“A negative part of me is saying I failed.”

This creates psychological distance.

3. Challenge the Cognitive Distortions

The inner critic often relies on distortions like:

Catastrophizing
Mind reading
Black-and-white thinking
Overgeneralization

These patterns could be central in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

Ask:

What evidence supports this thought?
What evidence contradicts it?
What would I say to a friend in this situation?

4. Replace Criticism with Self-Compassion

Research might show that self-compassion reduces anxiety and depression while increasing resilience.

Three steps:

Mindfulness: notice the criticism without fighting it
Common humanity: remember others struggle too
Self-kindness: respond like a supportive mentor

Example shift:

Critic: “You’re incompetent.”
Compassionate voice: “You’re learning. Mistakes are part of growth.”

5. Understand Where the Critic Came From

Maybe the inner critic is internalized early authority:

parents
teachers
social expectations

Understanding its origin reduces its power.

6. Develop a “Wise Inner Coach”

Instead of eliminating the critic, transform it.

A healthy internal voice says:

“You can improve.”
“Here’s what to do differently next time.”

This keeps self-reflection without self-attack.

7. Use Mindfulness to Quiet the Critic

Meditation helps you observe thoughts rather than identify with them.

Mindfulness practices come from traditions such as Buddhist Mindfulness and are used clinically in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.

You begin to see:

“A thought is just a mental event, not a fact.”

In summary:
Softening the inner critic involves:

Awareness of critical thoughts
Creating distance from them
Challenging distortions
Practicing self-compassion
Understanding their origin
Developing a supportive internal voice

Shervan K Shahhian

Self-Critical Cognitive Pattern, what is it:

A Self-Critical Cognitive Pattern is a habitual way of thinking in which a person might repeatedly judge, blame, or devalue themselves. In psychology, it might refer to a recurrent mental pattern of harsh self-evaluation, often involving thoughts such as “I’m not good enough,” “I always mess things up,” or “I should have done better.”

Core Idea

It is a cognitive style where the mind might automatically evaluate the self negatively, often linked to an internalized “inner critic.”

Key Features

Harsh self-judgment
The person evaluates their actions or identity in a very negative way.
Perfectionistic standards
Unrealistically high expectations lead to frequent feelings of failure.
Automatic negative thinking
Thoughts arise quickly and involuntarily (similar to patterns seen in Automatic Negative Thoughts).
Overgeneralization
One mistake becomes “I always fail.”
Internalized criticism
Often develops from earlier experiences with criticism, shame, or strict expectations.

Psychological Effects

A strong self-critical pattern is associated with:

Low self-esteem
Anxiety and shame
Depression
Burnout and emotional exhaustion
Difficulty accepting praise

In psychology, these patterns might often be discussed in therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Compassion‑Focused Therapy, which might help people recognize and soften the inner critic.

Example

Situation: You make a mistake at work.

Self-critical cognitive pattern:

“I’m incompetent.”
“Everyone probably thinks I’m stupid.”
“I shouldn’t have this job.”

Balanced thinking (healthier cognition):

“I made a mistake, but mistakes are part of learning.”

Psychological Perspective

Self-criticism can sometimes motivate improvement, but chronic self-criticism becomes psychologically harmful, leading to persistent stress and emotional distress.

Shervan K Shahhian

The Psychology of the “Inner Critic”, explained:

The psychology of the “inner critic” refers to the internal voice in a person’s mind that judges, criticizes, or attacks the self. It is a form of self-evaluative thinking that often becomes overly harsh or unrealistic.

1. What Is the Inner Critic

The inner critic is an internalized psychological process where a person mentally says things like:

“You’re not good enough.”
“You’re going to fail.”
“Everyone thinks you’re incompetent.”
“You should be ashamed of yourself.”

In psychology, it might often be understood as a self-critical cognitive pattern rather than a literal “voice.”

2. Where the Inner Critic Comes From

Possibly, Early Relationships

Some psychologists might believe the inner critic develops from internalized authority figures, such as:

Parents
Teachers
Caregivers
Social norms

For example, a person who hears constant criticism may later internalize those voices.

A related concept is the Superego, introduced by Sigmund Freud, which represents the internal moral judge.

Social Conditioning

Society reinforces critical self-monitoring through:

Perfectionism
Social comparison
Cultural expectations of success

Trauma or Chronic Criticism

Repeated criticism can create:

Shame-based self-identity
Fear of mistakes
Hypervigilant self-monitoring

The person eventually becomes their own critic.

3. Psychological Functions of the Inner Critic

Interestingly, the inner critic originally might have protective intentions.

It tries to:

Prevent rejection
Avoid failure
Enforce moral standards
Maintain social belonging

However, when extreme it may become psychologically harmful.

4. When the Inner Critic Becomes Pathological

An overactive inner critic is associated with:

Major Depressive Disorder
Social Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Perfectionism
Chronic shame

Typical features include:

Harsh self-talk
Catastrophizing mistakes
Constant self-monitoring
Feeling “never good enough”

5. Psychological Models Explaining the Inner Critic

Cognitive Psychology

In Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the inner critic maybe seen as automatic negative thoughts.

Example:

Situation: Mistake at work
Thought: “I’m incompetent”
Emotion: Shame

Self-Compassion Research

Some research shows that people with strong inner critics might often lack self-compassion, meaning they treat themselves more harshly than they would treat others.

Parts Psychology

In Internal Family Systems Model, the inner critic might be seen as a protective “manager part” trying to control behavior to prevent rejection or pain.

6. Signs Your Inner Critic Is Dominant

You replay mistakes repeatedly
Compliments feel uncomfortable
You expect failure
You compare yourself constantly
Achievements never feel “good enough”

7. Healthy vs Unhealthy Inner Critic

Healthy Self-Evaluation	Harsh Inner Critic
“I made a mistake.”	“I’m a failure.”
Learning from errors	Shame and self-attack
Realistic standards	Perfectionism
Encourages growth	Paralyzes action

8. Psychological Goal: Transforming the Inner Critic

Modern therapy may focus not on eliminating the inner critic but transforming it into a more balanced inner guide.

Helpful practices might include:

Cognitive restructuring
Self-compassion
Mindfulness
Mentalization (which connects to Mentalization-Based Therapy)

Interesting psychological insight:
The inner critic often speaks in the voice of past authority figures, but feels like your own identity.

Shervan K Shahhian

Emotional Injury, explained:

Emotional injury refers to psychological harm that could be caused by distressing or traumatic experiences that might affect a person’s feelings, sense of safety, self-worth, and ability to function. It is sometimes called psychological harm or emotional trauma.

Key Idea

An emotional injury happens when an event overwhelms a person’s ability to cope, leaving lasting emotional pain or psychological effects.

Common Causes

Emotional injury might result from many experiences, such as:

Abuse (emotional, physical, or sexual)
Neglect or abandonment
Betrayal or broken trust
Bullying or humiliation
Loss of a loved one
Serious illness or medical trauma
Chronic criticism or rejection
Witnessing violence or disasters

Possible Symptoms

Emotional injuries can show up in different ways:

Emotional

Anxiety or fear
Sadness or depression
Anger or resentment
Shame or guilt

Cognitive

Negative self-beliefs
Rumination
Difficulty trusting others

Behavioral

Withdrawal from relationships
Avoidance behaviors
Self-sabotage

Physical / Psychophysiological

Sleep problems
Fatigue
Headaches or body tension

Psychological Perspective

In psychology, emotional injuries can possibly contribute to conditions such as:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Major Depressive Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Complex trauma or attachment disturbances

Healing and Recovery

Recovery usually involves:

Psychotherapy (trauma-informed therapy, cognitive therapy, etc.)
Emotional processing and meaning-making
Supportive relationships
Mind–body approaches (breathing, grounding, mindfulness)

Simple Way to Think About It

A physical injury hurts the body, while an emotional injury hurts the mind and inner sense of self, but both can be real, serious, and treatable.

Shervan K Shahhian