BEFRIENDING YOUR INNER CRITIC: A 3 Week Expressive Arts Journey

Have you ever stopped to ponder who that harsh, undermining voice in your head is? Your 'INNER CRITIC' – skeptical, judgmental, pointing out flaws, keeping track of mistakes, and never satisfied.
THIS VOICE ISN'T YOU!
Yet, this voice IS part of you. And despite its brutalizing tendencies, it has something important to share.

Try as we might, fighting this voice rarely makes it go away (and in fact, usually makes it louder). Yet, when we meet this voice with compassion, curiosity, and a little bit of playfulness, we can learn to not only tolerate this part of us, but work with it in order to grow and succeed. Befriending our inner critic is possible, and that is exactly what this course is all about!

This course is for you if:

• You're looking to strengthen your self-confidence and assertiveness in personal and professional settings
• You want to make empowered, clear, and confident decisions in your life
• You're ready to unlock your creative potential and flow more fully
• You are tired of being influenced by negative self-talk and self-criticism
• You wish to explore deeper aspects of your personality and behaviour patterns
• You want to overcome subconscious barriers in your life
• You're interested in developing self-compassion and fostering a more nurturing relationship with yourself

During this course we will:

• Learn the root and purpose of our inner critic
• Externalize the inner critic in order to dis-identify with it and see it more clearly
• Practice relating to our critic with compassion and curiosity
• Learn the language that our inner critic speaks and decipher its messages
• Distinguish between our inner critic and our inner knowing
• Learn techniques for challenging its negative messages
• Learn how to work with our inner critic as a motivator for positive growth

We will do all this through a blend of art making & art witnessing, journaling, somatic awareness practices, and group discussion.

*No previous art experience necessary!*

WHEN:
3 Sundays: May 12, 19, 26
4:00-6:15pm PST // 7:00-9:15pm ET

WHERE:
Online Via Zoom
*Recordings Available to do on your own time*

REGISTRATION:
$144 for 3 week series
$121 Early Bird (on until April 28th)
Discount for Transformational Healing Collective Members:
Code: friend

I am so excited to see the shifts that happen in our lives as we go on this journey together!

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS SERIES:
"Being a part of the Inner Critic workshop with Meigan was a playful and illuminating journey. One of Meigan's many gifts is her inclination to simplify complex emotions through play. For me, I learned that my Inner Critic snowballed into a very loud voice that hindered me from expressing my true voice / self. This workshop allowed me to befriend this part of myself and let the darkness be brought to the light. You can give this part of yourself an invitation to join you in the light hearted art making process, to come out of hiding and allow your shadow aspects to be seen. I'm not an avid art maker, but some of the images that came through for me were incredibly healing.”
- L.L., Vancouver, BC

Thank you Meigan for this wonderful immersion into our own inner critics. Thank you for creating this space for us and encouraging us to give ourselves permission to carefully explore this aspect of being, and especially for guiding us adeptly through. From your workshop I really got in touch with something I've been on the run from for decades. Thank you again.
~ SITA, FLOURISH ART THERAPY, B.C.

ABOUT ART THERAPY:
When we allow ourselves the permission to slow down, drop in, and explore the full-range of non-verbal expression, we open the doors to deeper levels of self understanding. Through movement, art, and play, we have the chance to explore the unknown, move beyond our comfort zones, release inner judgements, and heal through conscious awareness of sensation.

ABOUT THE FACILITATOR:
Meigan Swanson (Expression Sessions, BA D.VATI) is a professional art therapist, early childhood interventionist, embodiment facilitator, and community builder. She has been practicing art therapy in groups and with children since graduating from the Vancouver Art Therapy Institute in 2012. Her work focuses on empowering people to connect more fully to their authentic expression - through artistic creation, somatic awareness, interpersonal connection, and playfulness. As a long-time gymnast and avid dancer, she believes the body (and all its ways of feeling) allows direct access to deep healing and intuitive ways of knowing. Her work is strongly influenced by the research fields of attachment theory (recently gaining a certificate in Somatic Attachment Therapy), trauma informed practice, and interpersonal neurobiology.