From Critic to Fairer Voice

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© 2026 Breaking the Bond | Original educational resource | 1
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FACILITATOR GUIDE / 90 MINUTES / 1 OF 4
From Critic to Fairer Voice
Adults in residential or outpatient groups, with a facilitator working within their training and setting. Original
session plan informed by established clinical concepts; not a validated protocol, certification, or full
treatment curriculum.
What participants will practice
Participants can separate a specific behavior from a global self-label, identify one concrete strength
example, and choose one action linked to a personal value.
Prepare before group
Prepare a low-stakes example involving a missed task. Do not ask participants to disclose trauma,
list their worst features, or receive public peer ratings. Avoid forced affirmations and
appearance-based feedback. Print both pages of A Fairer View of Myself for each participant. Bring
pens, a board, and a timer. Review the worksheet and your setting's safety procedures before
facilitating.
Choice, dignity & safety
Offer passing, private writing, drawing, or a fictional example. Invite consent before pair work.
Explain confidentiality limits and that peers' confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. Ask for no
graphic stories or unsolicited advice. Use your setting's risk and escalation procedures.
90-minute session map
0-10 welcome and choice; 10-20 teach and model; 20-35 guided reflection; 35-50 optional sharing;
50-55 reset; 55-75 skill rehearsal; 75-85 action plan; 85-90 close.
Teaching focus
Teach the difference between a fact about one event and a sweeping judgment about the whole
person. Invite a fairer, specific statement that includes learning and responsibility. Pair reflection
with a small action that expresses a value; worth does not have to be earned through performance.


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FACILITATOR GUIDE / 90 MINUTES / 2 OF 4
Open, Teach & Explore
Use the timing as a guide. Adapt the delivery to access needs while protecting practice time.
0-10 / Welcome and choice
Say: "We are not going to force positive thinking. We will practice describing ourselves more fairly."
Review agreements and the option to use a fictional example. Ask: "What helps you feel respected
in a group?" Use responses to reinforce choice and listening.
10-20 / Teach with a neutral example
Write: "I missed a scheduled task" and "I ruin everything." Ask: "Which describes an event, and
which labels a whole person?" Invite a fairer version, such as "I missed one task and can set a
reminder." Keep accountability visible without treating shame as a requirement for change.
20-35 / Worksheet page 1
Give 8 minutes for sections 1-4. Ask participants to choose a mild example and use exact words
only if comfortable. Offer: "What facts fit the concern? What facts do not fit the whole-person label?"
If no alternative feels believable, try "I am learning to..." with a specific action rather than insisting
on praise.
35-50 / Process with permission
Offer pairs, a quiet written exchange, or continued private work. Invite sharing of a fairer statement,
not the original insult. Ask: "What changed when the statement became more specific? What
responsibility remains?" Reflect effort and clarity. Do not let peers argue someone into feeling
worthy.


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FACILITATOR GUIDE / 90 MINUTES / 3 OF 4
Practice, Plan & Close
Rehearsal is optional. Observe the skill rather than rating the person.
50-55 / Reset
Offer water or a quiet pause. Let participants keep eyes open and choose whether to move. Check
with anyone who wants support without asking them to explain their distress publicly.
55-75 / Worksheet page 2 and skill practice
Spend 5 minutes on sections 5-6. Model a quality with evidence: "I value reliability; I called to
reschedule instead of disappearing." Invite willing pairs to practice responding to a fictional
self-judgment with a fairer statement. Give each speaker 2 minutes and each listener 1 minute of
feedback; switch, then debrief. No advice or compliments are required.
75-85 / Choose a values action
Use section 7. Ask: "What matters enough to take a small step? When will you try it? What is your
backup?" Invite a confidence rating of 0-10 and a smaller action if needed. Emphasize that
completing the action is practice, not proof of worth. Section 8 is for review after trying it.
85-90 / Close
Invite one useful phrase or a pass. Say: "A fairer view can hold difficulty, responsibility, and
possibility at the same time." Explain homework and invite participants to speak with staff if the
exercise brings up more than they want to manage alone.
Optional practice scenario
Jordan forgets to reply to a friend and thinks, "I am a terrible person." Practice a statement that
acknowledges the missed reply without a global label. Then choose a value-based action, such as
sending a respectful check-in, without demanding a particular response.
Feedback prompts
Ask: "Was the new statement specific, believable, and fair? Did it acknowledge the event? Is the
action connected to a value?" Avoid reassurance contests, rating attractiveness, or comparing
participants' achievements.


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FACILITATOR GUIDE / 90 MINUTES / 4 OF 4
Carry the Skill Forward
Use clinical judgment. This resource supports, rather than replaces, individualized assessment and
treatment.
Homework & next-session review
Before the next session, record one self-judgment and one fairer response. Try the chosen values
action once, then finish section 8. At follow-up, ask about learning and barriers, not whether
confidence or mood improved.
Adaptations & stuck points
Allow drawing, dictation, or a fictional character for participants who struggle to name strengths.
Ask about an action they took, rather than demanding a positive trait. If trauma or acute risk is
disclosed, stop public processing, offer individual support, and follow your setting's procedures.
Facilitator review & documentation
Check whether participants distinguished a fact from a label, named evidence for a quality, and
wrote a doable action. Do not score self-worth or imply this session treats a diagnosed condition.
Document observable participation and skill practice under your setting's requirements; do not
document improvement that was not observed.
Clinical background & further reading
These original prompts and activities are not copied from the listed worksheets or manuals. Source organizations have not
endorsed this resource. Links checked October 30, 2026.
Centre for Clinical Interventions, WA Health. Improving Self-Esteem: modules and clinical resources.
https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/Resources/Looking-After-Yourself/Self-Esteem