Befriending the Inner Critic with IFS - A Conversation with Chris Burris

In this episode, I sit down with one of my IFS mentors Chris Burris, LMFT, Senior Lead Trainer for the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Institute, to explore one of the most challenging and misunderstood aspects of our inner world: the inner critic.

Chris shares his personal journey with IFS and how the model offers a radical permission to approach ourselves—and our parts—with more love, kindness, and curiosity. Together, we discuss:

• Why people are more than the behavior of their parts

• The nature of inner critic parts and why pushing them away doesn’t work

• How cultural messages often teach us to fight or silence the inner critic, rather than befriend it

• Common “suck points” when working with critics in therapy

• The role of legacy burdens in shaping our inner critics

• What it means to carry the critical energy of others inside us

• The importance of following intuition in the healing process

• Practical exercises to begin befriending your inner critic on your own

This conversation is both grounding and liberating, offering a compassionate reframe for anyone who struggles with self-judgment or harsh inner voices.

About Chris Burris:

Chris Burris, M.Ed., LCMHCS, LMFT (he/him), is a Senior Lead Trainer for the Internal Family Systems Institute, providing Level II and III trainings worldwide. He has been an IFS Therapist since 1999 and a practicing psychotherapist since 1987. With a background in marriage and family therapy and a mind-body approach, Chris has worked extensively with individuals, couples, families, and groups.

He is the author of Creating Healing Circles: Using the Internal Family Systems Model in Facilitating Groups, and has been leading experiential group trainings since 2003 on topics such as Self-leadership, men’s work, rites of passage, sacred activism, healthy relationships, and performance enhancement. Chris has also trained in nature-based models through the Animus Valley Institute, School of Lost Borders, The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, and The Center for Conscious Eldering.

Resources:

• Internal Family Systems Institute: burriscounseling.com

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