With an enormous struggle, she then confided to the therapist her lifelong sexual fantasy, which involved being abused by a domineering and hypercritical man.
In fact, according to research by the University of Nevada, a big factor that actually contributes to imposter syndrome later in life is hypercritical parents.
The therapist thought of how the patient had adopted her mother's hypercritical and emotionally distant posture to defend against her longings to be valued and admired.
So when we are in conflict with ourselves or hypercritical of ourselves, whether it be our adult or inner child self, how is that hurting us or helping us?