Which Archetypal Voice Is Haunting Your Psyche?

I try to use a cheerful and melodic tone to make people feel loved and accepted so I don’t risk creating conflict

I am often ignored, interrupted, spoken over, discounted, patronized, or silenced in some way

Others perceive an authoritative presence in my voice, even though I don’t intend to command that authority

My voice lacks conviction; there is little power or directness in the core of my voice

I wonder if the other person is really listening

“You don’t do enough”

“I don’t know…”

“You are too much (e.g., too loud, too opinionated, too aggressive)”

“What are you doing? Why are you doing it like that?”

“Who are you to….?”

Withdraw love, affection, or attention, either by screaming or going silent

Put pressure on me to succeed

Teach me, guide me, comfort me, and support me…or to correct my words, my tone, or my behavior

Direct or discipline me—to tell me how to speak, dress, or behave, often in accordance with strict cultural or societal norms

Nag, criticize, or prod me—they were constantly “on me,” trying to control or provoke me in some way

My day has felt productive and I’ve gotten a lot done

I finally feel seen and heard by people who mirror the truth of all that I am

I feel fully embodied and I am comfortable in my own skin

I know what I want and I am in touch with the impulses that prompt me to spontaneously act on it

I have found a way to feel a sense of safety and inner calm that allows me to engage with others toward a common goal

I mostly hear the words I am thinking or saying, not the tone or the melody of my speech

It sounds a bit weak, disconnected, and scattered, almost as if I am talking in a dream or under water

I notice that there is a predictable melodic pattern to my voice that mostly sounds the same no matter what I am saying

I hear both my beauty and my vulnerability, as well as an angry voice underneath that has never really been given a space to be heard and honored

It sounds a bit alien to me; like it doesn’t actually belong to me

Fear that I have nothing new, important, or meaningful to say

Feeling unseen, unheard, or underappreciated; like there’s no place for my creativity in the world

The voice of my Inner Critic, telling me I’m not good enough; I’m a fraud

I have no time

Feeling indecisive about which project to focus my attention on or how to start

The voices of my culture & my community were often in conflict with the voices of formalized education or others in the collective

My father’s voice was noticeably absent or extremely authoritative, often eclipsing everyone else’s voice

I remember a mix of sounds—some comforting, others disturbing; a calm sense of quiet was difficult to come by

I remember a lot of different sounds and voices of people in my immediate and extended community

I remember an oppressive silence, occasionally interrupted by loud voices or intrusive noise

Guides me to think for myself and to trust my own instincts, even when it isn’t amplified or encouraged by others in mainstream culture

Might be a softer, less authoritative voice that I have rarely thought to listen to

Is emerging, but is confused, covered up, or distorted by the voices of other people

Is the voice of wisdom, confidence, strength, and security, even if I can’t always access it.

Is one I have rarely heard and have seldom thought to listen to

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