IFS Insight: Basic Concept Of Parts

Here, IFS practitioner Tim Fortescue revisits the concept of parts in IFS.
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Transcript

Welcome to IFS Meditations and Insights,

A podcast on personal growth through internal family systems.

I m Tim Fortescue,

Your guide,

A trained IFS practitioner focused on spiritual wholeness.

Here we explore self-discovery and embracing all parts of ourselves with love.

This allows us to receive divine love and share it with others.

These episodes aim to bring you inner peace and a stronger connection to the sacred.

Today I m going to recap the concept of parts in IFS.

So settle in,

Open up your heart and mind,

And let s begin with as much curiosity and compassion as we can.

As those of you who are regular listeners,

You know that IFS is a therapeutic approach that offers a fascinating glimpse into the multi-faceted world of the human psyche.

It aims to help individuals gain profound insight into their inner selves and address the different sub-personalities or parts that exist within their mental system.

These parts encompass a wide range of emotions,

Thoughts,

Beliefs,

And impulses.

To truly understand IFS,

We need to explore the concept of parts and their role in shaping our inner world.

In IFS,

The term parts refers to these sub-personalities or roles that reside within us.

These parts can manifest as thoughts,

Feelings,

Actions,

Impulses,

And even beliefs among many other things.

Some may carry the burdens of past trauma while others are more concerned with managing our day-to-day lives or helping us escape from pain.

Each part has its unique perspective,

Interests,

Memories,

And viewpoint.

It's important to note that it's essential to recognize that these parts are not inherently problematic or negative.

They're no bad parts.

They're in fact trying to protect us in their own way.

While some parts may employ strategies that are ultimately harmful,

Their underlying intention is always rooted in keeping us safe.

And it's good to realize too that these parts are generally younger parts that shouldn't be carrying the burdens that they're carrying alone in the first place.

So rather than attempting to eliminate these parts,

IFS encourages us to understand and appreciate their roles and work towards freeing them from their extreme functions.

In the realm of IFS,

There are three primary types of parts,

Exiles,

Managers,

And firefighters.

Each plays a distinct role in our inner landscape.

Exiles are often younger,

More vulnerable parts of us that have experienced trauma or pain and they carry the weight of these past experiences and are frequently suppressed or hidden away by other protective parts.

An exile,

For example,

Could be a person who experienced a traumatic event in their childhood and now they carry the burden of that experience into their lives today.

And then there are two protective parts in IFS.

The first are managers,

And these are proactive parts that take on the responsibility of keeping vulnerable exile parts suppressed.

And they do this to prevent the overwhelming emotions of the exiles from surfacing.

Managers often manifest as controlling and protective parts of our personalities.

For example,

A manager part may manifest as a person who is always in control and avoids vulnerability to protect themselves from emotional pain.

And the second type of protector are firefighters.

Firefighters come into play when exiles manage to break free and cause intense feelings.

These parts resort to distraction or numbing techniques to cope with these overwhelming emotions.

This can lead to behaviors such as addiction,

Overeating,

Or other destructive habits.

An example of this is a firefighter part could be someone who turns to substance abuse or other destructive behaviors as a way to numb their overwhelming emotions.

To summarize,

The three parts again are those exiles,

Often younger parts that are protected by two types of protectors.

One is more of a manager who is proactive and the other steps in just like a firefighter and is reactive.

And the ultimate goal of IFS is to help individuals access their self.

The self represents the confident and compassionate core of an individual and it can effectively lead the internal system,

Facilitating healing from the various parts.

When we connect with our self,

We can harmonize the different parts,

Creating a sense of balance and internal cooperation.

Now that we've explored the fundamental concepts of IFS a little bit,

Let's look at the therapeutic process itself.

IFS involves several key steps.

Number one,

Internal exploration.

In IFS,

You work with a trained practitioner,

A therapist,

Or a coach to explore your inner world.

This process involves identifying and getting to know the various parts that make up your mental landscape.

Number two,

Building a relationship with your parts.

Once you've identified your parts,

You begin to build a relationship with them.

This means understanding their roles and the positive intentions behind their actions.

Three,

Unburdening exiles.

A significant part of IFS involves unburdening your exiles.

This means helping them release the emotional weight of past traumas and pain,

Allowing them to heal.

And then four of the six that I'm going to give you,

Harmonizing managers and firefighters,

Those protective parts.

Managers and firefighters play critical roles in protecting us from the pain of exiles.

And in working with an IFS practitioner and in a therapeutic approach,

These parts are helped to relax their protective functions,

Allowing for more balance and healthier coping mechanisms.

And then number five is cultivating self-leadership.

The ultimate aim of IFS is to strengthen ourself and cultivate self-leadership.

This involves developing an ability to lead your internal system with confidence and compassion.

And then finally,

Number six in the IFS process is healing and integration.

As you work through the therapeutic process,

Healing and integration occur among your parts.

They begin to work together in a more coordinated manner,

Leading to increased self-awareness and personal growth.

And I know I have experienced this personally and the clients that I work with.

It's just pretty fascinating of how when you're in the mind of multiplicity and parts and you're doing this work,

You tend to recognize it in your daily life.

And it's very helpful to internal relationships as well as external relationships.

And the power of IFS lies in its ability to provide a framework for individuals to connect with their inner selves and understand the complex interactions among their parts.

And it offers a path to deep self-awareness and healing,

Enabling individuals to lead more balanced and fulfilling lives.

And it isn't limited to the coach or therapist office.

It can be a valuable tool for self-reflection and personal growth in everyday life.

As you become more in tune to your internal world and various parts that comprise it,

You can make conscious choices that lead to positive changes and enhanced well-being.

And this is what I was talking about.

It's noticeable when you do this work in your day-to-day life.

So let me summarize as I wrap up.

IFS or internal family systems is a unique and transformative approach that encourages us to explore the rich tapestry of our inner selves.

And by understanding and harmonizing the different parts within us,

We can access our self,

The core of our confidence and compassion.

And through IFS,

We embark on a journey of self-discovery,

Healing,

And personal growth,

Ultimately leading us to a more fulfilling life and a better relationships in the world.

And so whether you're listening as a coach or a therapist or someone just curious about IFS,

Know that this approach offers a powerful lens through which to view the complexity of the human psyche,

And it has great potential for inner transformation.

Reviews

Such a useful summary of IFS and how it’s structured, of the different roles the parts play and of the therapeutic aims of the system. Easy to understand and thorough explanation. 🙏🏽

like to know is “problem solving “ a protector or a firefighter ? Sometimes I also aware I can detect or thought problem coming and attempt to “prepare” when things could turn wrong. Please comment thanks for the useful talk 🙏🏻