A way of working with critters

There are moments when our bodies speak louder than words, carrying messages that link us to our lineage, emotions, and unseen energies. Recently, something happened that reminded me of how intertwined body and psyche truly are — how even invisible critters, as Richard Schwartz calls them, can find their way into our awareness.

My mum has Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The NHS describes it as “COPD happens when the lungs become inflamed, damaged and narrowed.” She struggles to breathe. In a recent phone conversation she shared a little of how she was feeling about the COPD. She followed this by saying, “It’s hereditary — you might get it, or you might not.” It landed like a blow in my body and I decided not to dwell on the idea of me getting COPD.

I developed asthma when I was 11. I often felt panic at not being able to catch my breath. As an adult, I did (and do) a lot of inner work, allowing myself to grieve, and the asthma symptoms stopped many years ago. They came back in 2021, during my Master’s when I was in the midst of deep grief work for myself and with my clients.

I learnt to calm myself when I woke in the middle of the night by repeating “I’m calm, I’m safe, I choose to be here.” Eventually my chest began to loosen. Sometimes it took over half an hour, but it always did, and I didn’t need an inhaler.

Today, as I walked through Brighton, my chest felt tight and I needed to cough to try to create space. Internally, I acknowledged the feeling of tightness, thanked it, and wondered what it needed. No information came back. I kept returning to the phone call with my mum and her words: COPD is hereditary. My body felt heavier as my chest tightened.

Suddenly, it occurred to me that perhaps a critter had attached to me during the phone call. I asked it if it was part of me. No. I acknowledged the panic it was inducing and then told it to leave me and go back to my mum. No, it didn’t want to; she couldn’t hold it. “Okay,” I said, “go to the ancestors who are waiting to hold you with love.”

At that moment, I felt the scarf I was carrying drop out of my hand, and I caught it. Suddenly a lightness entered my being. I felt instantly better; the panic had gone. I felt gratitude.

Critters are, according to Richard C. Schwartz, of Internal Family Systems therapy fame, malevolent entities that are not part of a person’s system. They attach themselves and behave like inner critics or saboteurs but they do not have the good intent of critics. I came across critters in Derek Scott’s book and I’m so glad I did! When I did further research on critters, I found valuable information:

• Critters will answer honestly when asked if they’re part of your system.
• You can tell critters to leave your system by going back to where they came from, or to their ancestors, or to the Earth.
• If you mistake a part of your system for a critter and try to banish it, your system will become highly dysregulated. You bring regulation back with compassion (see this post).

What this moment reminded me is that healing is an ongoing dialogue between body, psyche, and spirit. Whether we work with breath, parts, or critters, each encounter is an invitation to listen more deeply and meet ourselves — and what we carry — with presence and compassion.

If you’re curious to explore these kinds of inner experiences, I offer a space where all parts of you are welcome. You can book a free 20–30 minute chat below.