Facing Self-Judgment

Facilitated by Amber Rice, LMFT and Kate Hagen, MA.

November 3-4

Location: Marina Village, Room D6

Cost: $399

$349 Early Bird Registration through October 1

Saturday and Sunday

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Breakfast and afternoon snacks provided

Not one of us is immune to self judgment. Regardless of our culture and family we have learned to compare and scrutinize ourselves as a means of survival. But, there are tools and methods that can help you recover from this inner critic!

Facing Self-Judgment is a 2 day women’s intensive retreat designed to give you the skills to come out from underneath the pattern of self judgment.

You will be introduced to information, experiences, and processes that will support you in approaching self judgment in a whole new way. Instead of ignoring your pain or attacking your inner critic, you will learn to adopt a more curious and relational approach that is needed for self compassion to develop.

If being critical and judgmental worked, we would be perfect by now!

Shaming ourselves into good behavior is not sustainable and it does not serve us in the long run. What we need, instead, is a new way of thinking about personal failure, suffering, and imperfection that promotes understanding, self kindness, and perspective.

After the Facing Self Judgment Life Change Course, you will:

-Be able to identify what contributes and perpetuates self judgment.

-Have the tools to develop a practice of self compassion and build shame resilience.

-Develop a empathetic understanding of your behavior and engage in less “shame spiraling.”

-Approach yourself with expanded kindness and care when you are hurting instead of ignoring your pain with a “stiff upper lip.”

-Gain a healthier perspective on imperfection that fosters connection and belonging.

-Experience more joy, freedom, and self appreciation that a self-compassion practice brings.

After the course, you will be invited to join our Facing Self-Judgment Network, an ongoing support community on Facebook to help you continue the practice and feel connected to others. Community is powerful. Healing is especially powerful when we do it together. This supportive group – including Amber and Kate– will stand with you and believe in you as you navigate the process of practicing self-compassion

FAQ:

Is this Life Change Course for me?

Do you often engage in self critical self talk?  Do you have a persistent feeling of unworthiness and shame? Do you often compare yourself to others and feel inadequate or not good enough? Do you have a hard time expressing what you really want, need, think, or feel? Have you tried using positive affirmations, prayer and/or meditation to stop the self judgment but are still feeling stuck in a self critical pattern? If so, then Recovering From Self Judgment is for you!

What is self-judgment?

Self-judgment is the experience of holding critical, negative thoughts about ourselves that result in unpleasant feelings of shame, anxiety, depression, and anger. We then respond to our feelings with problematic behaviors including isolating, lashing out, worrying and obsessing, compulsive eating/drinking/shopping/gaming/working, aggression, withholding, avoiding, and playing small. We judge ourselves harshly based on unrealistic or outdated expectations and standards, usually as a means of motivating ourselves to “do better.”  Self judgment is often intended to be an act of self protection from pain, failure, imperfection, and rejection.

What is self-compassion?

Self-compassion entails being warm and understanding toward ourselves when we suffer, fail, or feel inadequate, rather than ignoring our pain or flagellating ourselves with self-criticism. The very definition of being “human” means that one is mortal, vulnerable and imperfect.  Therefore, self-compassion involves recognizing that suffering and personal inadequacy is part of the shared human experience – something that we all go through rather than being something that happens to “me” alone.  It is a non-judgmental, receptive mind state in which one observes their thoughts and feelings as they are, without trying to suppress or deny them because we cannot ignore our pain and feel compassion for it at the same time. (adapted from Dr. Kristen Neff)

What should I expect during the program?

We do our best to create a warm, nurturing space for you to explore this very personal and often painful story of self judgment.  You can expect to be joined by other whole-hearted women who are engaging in this vulnerable and transformative experience. We invite you to participate with courage, and to stay connected to your boundaries. There will be group discussion, teaching, reflection exercises, small group work, art processes,  music, mindfulness exercises, and gentle movement processes. Personal sharing will be encouraged as there is great value in the hearing and telling of our shared experiences. You are encouraged to bring a journal.

Who is Amber Rice?

Amber Rice is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the states of Washington and California.  She is a skilled trauma therapist, having over 20 years of direct clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults who have been impacted by trauma. Amber is a skilled educator, trainer, and group process facilitator and has developed and facilitated workshops and trainings in clinical settings on topics including countertransference, codependency, social thinking, self compassion, and trauma.  Amber holds a special interest in the personal and professional development of clinicians and has devoted her career to creating safe spaces for clinicians to lean into their growing edges. A core concept in Amber’s approach to development of clinical professionals is that the best clinical tool is one’s Self, and that the best clinical experience is gained in the clinicians’s process of personal growth and healing. Amber holds a designation as an AAMFT Approved Clinical Supervisor and brings her unique focus on personal process as a means of professional growth to her work as a clinical supervisor with counseling associates and interns.  She is an adjunct graduate professor at Antioch University in Seattle in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Department. Amber currently lives in Bothell, Washington with her 12 year old son.

Who is Kate Hagen?

Kate Hagen has a Master of Arts in Counseling and has recently finished an advanced counseling certification program. She has mentored many women in the professional world to grow their businesses, and has grown a large business herself. Her past life included counseling teens, as well as teaching Jr. High & High School History. She has a passion to help people move out of self-judgment into confidence and peace.

She loves to write, walk on the beach, play games with her teenage kids & talk deeply with people (preferably over a cup of coffee). She lives in Leucadia, CA with her husband and 3 teenage kids.

I can't afford the fee. Are there payment plans or scholarships available?

YES! We want Facing Self Judgment to be available to as many women as possible, and so if you are in need of a payment plan or a scholarship, please contact us and let us know. There are a limited amount of scholarships for a reduced fee available, so please reach out to us to apply. You can email us at amberricelmft@gmail.com

GENDER POLICY: This retreat is intended for all people who identify as female, femme, trans, non-binary, or genderqueer to participate. If you have any questions or concerns about our gender policy, please feel free to email us at amberricelmft@gmail.com

OUR CANCELLATION POLICY

Events and Trainings:

For all events and trainings registered with The School Beyond School, we offer a full refund less a 10% processing fee if cancellation is at least 10 days prior to the start of the event; otherwise, any payments or deposits are nonrefundable. For questions, please email amberricelmft@gmail.com