IFS, often referred to as “parts work,” celebrates that we are multi-faceted, made up of many parts.
Think about how different friends bring out different parts of us. When we are young and experience stress/overwhelm/trauma, different parts get recruited to protects us and preserve our essential selves, our original spirit. These actions of protection work so well at the time, the parts continue these functions deep in our system, or psyche.
Over time, as life goes on, these actions might be experienced by us as attributes and behaviors that are not working for us anymore, such as people pleasing, self-sabotage, or self-criticism. IFS lets us get to know our parts, and lets our parts know that we now have the capacity to manage and thrive from our developed adult selves. The parts can relax into safety and be free. And so can we.
I find that IFS really celebrates our complexity, wisdom, intuition, and our magic. It can lead to profound healing of our deepest wounds and free us into who we already are, and the freest of who we’ve always been.