AMBER RICE
LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST
"You created a very safe space to connect with other amazing people and that was a very nourishing and hopeful experience."
"This was a powerful and life changing workshop. It turned everything I understood about self-judgment upside down."
WHAT IS FACING SELF JUDGMENT?
Facing Self-Judgment is a 2 day intensive workshop experience designed to equip you with practical skills to use to when you find yourself stuck in a self judgment pattern. 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.
Not one of us is immune to self-judgment. Despite the affirmations, the positive self talk, the therapy, and the attempts at restructuring our thoughts, we may still experience the harsh effects of our inner critic. Shaming yourself into good behavior is not sustainable and it does not serve you 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.
Let's face it. If judging ourselves worked, we would be perfect by now.
MEET THE FACILITATORS
Amber Rice, MA, LMFT
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 holds a designation as an AAMFT Approved Clinical Supervisor, and has a special interest in the personal and professional development of mental health professionals. She is an adjunct graduate professor at Antioch University in Seattle in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Department. Amber loves camping and road trips in her travel trailer, hugging trees, raising chickens, and watching cat videos with her son, Jack. Amber and Jack currently live in Bothell, Washington.
After Facing Self-Judgment, you will:
Be able to identify what contributes to and can perpetuate self-judgment.
Use the guided process taught to address self-criticism and shift it to self-care.
Develop a empathetic understanding of your behavior and engage in less “shame spiraling.”
Understand how your self-judgment has been working for you to get your needs met.
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.
FAQ
IS THIS WORKSHOP EXPERIENCE 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 Facing Self Judgment is for you!
WHAT IS SELF-JUDGMENT?
Self-judgment is the experience of holding critical, negative thoughts about ourselves that result in shame, anxiety, depression, and anger. We judge ourselves harshly based on unrealistic expectations and standards, usually as a means of motivating ourselves to “do better.” Often times, these standards were imposed on us from our environments, whether that's family, religion, or the cultural messaging. Self-judgment is often our best way to protect ourselves from pain, failure, imperfection, and rejection, or other harm.
WHAT IS COMPASSIONATE SELF-CARE?
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 WEEKEND?
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 people 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.
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 people 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 amber@amberrice.org