Don’t Believe Everything You Think

Have you ever noticed the voices in your head—the ones that comment on everything you do? Some cheer you on, while others tear you down. In therapy, we often work with these inner voices. Therapy can be a powerful space to recognize the critical ones, strengthen the self-compassionate ones, and re-narrate your inner dialogue so that it is more supportive and empowering.

Inside all of us are different parts that speak up at different times. You might have one part that warns you of danger, one that criticizes you, one that dreams about the future, and another that worries about what could go wrong. These inner voices all want your attention, and they shape how you feel and act every day.

For example, if one of your inner voices constantly criticizes you, it might drag you down emotionally and contribute to depression. Or if there's a voice that always imagines worst-case scenarios, it can fuel anxiety.

Awareness is the first step towards change. Start by noticing which voices show up most often. What are they saying? How do they make you feel? A coworker of mine has a sticker on her water bottle that reads, “Don’t believe everything you think.” It’s a great reminder— sometimes we’re so used to our inner chatter that we don’t even question it anymore.

Take negative self-talk, for instance. Maybe there’s a voice inside that says things like, “You always mess things up,” or “Why did you wear this outfit?” With a therapist, you can explore how that voice formed and how it affects your mental health.

Sometimes these voices reflect past experiences, such as words from a harsh parent, a critical teacher, or a toxic boss. Once you see where that voice comes from, you get to decide how much power it has over you going forward. As the saying goes: do you really want to let that person live rent-free in your head? You don’t have to believe everything that you think.

Therapy can help you start to rewrite that inner dialogue, turning the harsh voice into one that speaks with the kindness of a friend. Imagine replacing “you’re a failure” with “you’re doing the best you can in a challenging situation.” That small shift can make a big difference in how you feel.

Another common inner voice is the one that predicts the worst-case scenario. It might say things like, “What if I mess up at the concert tomorrow?” or “What if something bad happens to my child?” These fears often come from past pain, loss, or trauma, and they’re trying to protect you from being hurt again.

But often the voices most intent on self-protection can fuel your anxiety. Therapy helps you learn to ask: is this voice helping me to problem-solve effectively, or is it just making me more afraid of hypothetical situations? When you listen with compassion, you might find that this fearful part of you just needs reassurance and care— not control over your future.

Evaluating the voices that you allow in your head is important work for your mental health. Believing everything that you think is a recipe for depression and anxiety. Learning to examine the voices that you’ve internalized and identify their impact offers you a chance to take control of your mental health proactively.

Think of it this way: you wouldn’t let someone yell cruel things at your friend or your child. So why would you let those same messages echo in your own mind?

The good news is, you can change this. You can become more aware of the voices inside your head, challenge the ones that harm you, and amplify the ones that support and empower you. By setting healthy internal boundaries, you can build more confidence, compassion, and peace within yourself. You can re-narrate your inner dialogue so that it empowers you to reach your goals effectively.

And if you’d like support along the way, our therapists at The Counseling Collective would be honored to work with you in this process! The mental health therapists at our office offer counseling for a variety of issues including trauma using EMDR, depression, anxiety, grief, and couples counseling. We work with kids, teens, adults, and couples. We also offer online counseling services which can be great for people with busy schedules or for people who live in parts of Pennsylvania with limited counseling options. You can check out our website to see the full list of counseling services that we offer. Or, Schedule An Appointment here.