'From a place of vulnerability': Experiences of Voice Dialogue to explore self-criticism

Voice Dialogue is a method used to explore and understand different parts of the self. It involves direct communication between a facilitator and aspects of the self to enhance awareness, understanding and differentiation from inner voices. This study aimed to understand how people with low self-esteem (LSE) experience a Voice-Dialogue session focusing on self-criticism (or the 'self-critic').

Nine individuals from a university setting underwent a single Voice-Dialogue session that involved direct dialogue with their self-critic and were subsequently interviewed about their experiences. The interview data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Three group experiential themes (GET) were generated: theme 1, 'transitioning between selves', highlights the importance of moving between chairs and embodying the self-critic; theme 2, 'what makes the critic', explores insights into the self-critic's origins and function; and theme 3, 'a change in relationships', describes adaptations in participants' self-to-self relating.

The findings suggest the Voice-Dialogue method, as a stand-alone intervention, has therapeutic utility in changing clients' relationship with their self-criticism. The findings are contextualised within broader theory and literature, and clinical implications are discussed.