Philippa Perry: Why everyone has an inner critic, and how to stop believing yours

Should you give your inner critic have a name? Psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry reckons giving that nagging voice in your head a silly name is the first step to stopping it running your life. In this chat with Fearne, Philippa explains why not feeling ‘good enough’ is often less about truth and more about habit. She shares how to tell the difference between a helpful critical inner voice and a self-sabotaging one, and why negative thought patterns keep us stuck. Fearne and Philippa also chat about the power of shame, and why talking about the things you feel most embarrassed about is the fastest way to shrink them. Plus, how is your phone eating away at your ability to connect IRL? And what can you do if you can’t access therapy? Philippa talks through some of her favourite self-therapy exercises. Philippa’s novel, Shrink Solves Murder, is out on May 7th. If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like: Philippa’s first Happy Place episode Flo Perry Bryony Gordon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Philippa Perry: Why everyone has an inner critic, and how to stop believing yours is an episode from Happy Place by Fearne Cotton.

This episode is 1:00:54 long.

This episode was published on Apr 20, 2026.

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