Parts Work

Internal Family Systems

Using the Internal Family Systems framework can help us target parts that are dysregulated, angry, over-protective, wounded, fearful, and traumatized and bring healing for a more integrated self.

Internal Family Systems was developed by Richard C. Schwartz

 

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a framework of therapy that embraces:

  • A plural mind – we all contain within us many different parts. We can all recognize times that we’ve acknowledged that “a part of us desires to do X, while another part wants to do Y.”

  • A systems thinking – we all exists within systems ( intrapsychic, familial, communal, cultural, national, etc.).

  • The Power of the “Self” – within us lies all the resources we need for healing and healthy functioning. Also, within us is the motivation & drive towards wisdom and health.

Get To Know Your Parts

The Exile

 

The Self

 

Exiles are typically the young parts who are holding the wounds or trauma that often happen in childhood. Exiles are frozen in time and is typically hidden from conscious awareness. However, Exiles want to be heard, seen, and tell their stories. Exiles want to be integrated into the system and heal.

The Self is the seat of consciousness. We are all born with a Self, however parts can overwhelm the Self thus forcing the Self to step back and simply be an observer rather than an active participant of the system.

Managers and Firefighters both play the role of Protectors. Their main job is to keep the whole system functioning and prevent it from getting overloaded. Managers attempt to manage the internal and external world of the individual using tools such as criticism, shaming, and controlling. Firefighters are called when the wounds of the Exile begin to come into awareness. Firefighters use tactics such as distraction, impulsivity, or anything that numbs the individual preventing him/her to feel the wounds of the Exile. The more wounded the Exile the more extreme measures are used by the Protectors, which in turn causes greater negative symptoms, behaviors, and internal conflict.

The Manager

 

The Firefighter

 

Parts Work & Trauma

Common Protective Parts due to Trauma

  • Anxious parts

  • Critical parts

  • Vigilant parts

  • Storytelling parts

  • Worrying parts

  • Rigid parts

  • Rageful or Angry parts

  • Intellectual parts

  • Obsessive parts

  • Dissociative parts

  • Suicidal parts

  • Self-harm parts

  • Numbing parts

  • Addictive parts

  • Shaming parts

  • Perpetrator parts

  • Substance-using parts

  • Sexually-excessive parts

  • Depressed parts

  • Phobic parts

  • Controlling parts

  • Insecure parts

  • Passive parts

Special Attention

  • Some parts necessitates an extra and close focus on because of the repercussions and consequences in our lives and of those we love when those particular parts overtake the system (mind, emotions, and body).

  • Suicidal parts

    “The extreme example of a part abandoning an untenable situation is suicide.” - Frank G. Anderson, MD. Sometimes these parts are from biologically based depression and therefore needs to be medically treated accordingly.

    Overall, these parts tend to show up when the pain is high, viewed as unbearable, and access to love is minimal to nonexistent. Suicidal parts are escape artists and perceive that the greatest and only way to stop the pain is the end life itself. These parts need to be taken extremely seriously because it means that the emotional, mental, and physical pain is very high.

    Anderson, F.G. (2021). Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems Therapy. PESI Publishing,

  • Perpetrator & Passive parts

    Trauma survivors often experience the polarization pulls of passive and perpetrator parts. Perpetrator parts are parts that internalized (took in the energy) of their abuser/perpetrators. Perpetrator parts are in sympathetic states and these parts are afraid that showing weakness or vulnerability will mean re-experiencing their past abuse. Perpetrator parts need to feel powerful and big in order to avoid being victimized again.

    On the flip side, passive parts are protective through pursuit of invisibility and staying below the radar. These parts feel helpless and have internalized being a victim in its extreme state. Passive parts are rooted in hypoarousal/parasympathetic state. The mentality is that safety is attained through staying hidden, quiet, and avoidance in order to avoid pain.

    Anderson, F.G. (2021). Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems Therapy. PESI Publishing,

  • Substance Abuse & Addiction parts

    Trauma and addiction often go hand in hand. These parts look outside the Self for solutions, reward, and relief. Externally seeking relief means anything, any behavior, any activity is “fair game” for the addiction parts. It is important to notice that our culture accepts and even elevate certain behaviors regardless of the function of those behaviors.

    It is also fairly common for there to be more than one substance-abuse parts and/or addiction parts. However, the goal of both is to avoid or achieve emotional, mental, and physical relief from the external system of choice.

    Substance-abuse and addiction parts can spiral rather quickly due to the biological effects of the behavior or substance.

    Anderson, F.G. (2021). Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems Therapy. PESI Publishing,

  • Critical parts

    Critical parts is also very involved with any of the parts listed above, especially in substance abuse parts and addiction parts. Once the substance abuse and/or the addiction part overtakes the system and causes the individual to begin using or relapse, the critical part tries to prevent future behavior by belittling, berating, and verbally abusing the system.

    Critical parts are often rooted from the internalization of the individual who caused the original relational wound or trauma. Often the internal insults mimic the language, perspective, and intensity of the abuser.

    Critical parts are preemptive. They hope that through insults, judgements, and verbal abuse, it can help the system to no longer behave or participate in whatever activity that would put the person in danger, get hurt, or feel whatever wound it felt before.

    Anderson, F.G. (2021). Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems Therapy. PESI Publishing,