How I Work
Inside our minds is a reality of many different parts of us. Some common examples are: you could have a people pleaser part that does a great job but another part resents it and feels unappreciated. Another part knows you're successful when you push yourself but another part feels burnt out and scared. Or a part of you wants more trust and intimacy in relationships, but another part tells you not to trust or be too open. These dynamics are called polarities and cause us the anxieties within ambivalence. Parts are like different masks that have different desires and needs deep in our subconscious.
Experiences in life, like pressures, demands, expectations or unexpected situations can trigger these different personas out of the subconscious and into action. What those behaviours look like have a lot to do with how your system has been coloured and shaped by the past and sometimes even further back in your lineage.
This understanding is a deeply respectful approach of getting to know your subpersonalities which comes from an evidence-based therapy called Internal Family Systems. It is a powerful method that can provide a great change in systems burdened by unexplainable anxieties, stuckness, crippling self-doubt and a feeling of being misaligned to the natural flow of life.
As we explore the parts, we will also heighten awarenes of your true Self essence. Conceptually, this can be understood as your whole, highest, or most authentic self. This essense of your core nature are not labels of names or achievements. It lives within a calm presence that radiates out as natural inner confidence, an open curiosity, and a compassionate nature that feels connected with the flow of life. Sounds great right? The level of happiness we live with is a direct indication of how balanced and in alignment we are with this core Self. This deeper Self is the source that holds the wisdom and healing to bring balance to any unhealed emotional past.
To learn more, watch this video of the founder of Internal Family Systems:
Other great resources to learn more:
Australian Psychological Society: Internal Family Systems Therapy