In Episode 3 of Inner Work Talks, I teach a brief crash course on the Internal Family Systems model as a method for understanding the various parts of the psyche.
I talk about the different types of "parts" within our inner world, including proactive and reactive parts, as well as wounded parts, along with the core essence that exists within all of us. I also lead you through a brief journaling/thought exercise to begin to identify the different parts inside of you.
Journaling Questions:
1. Think of a part of you that is a big piece of your personality, such as a caretaking, studious, skeptical, or fun-loving part. Write a few sentences about how this part thinks, feels, and shows up for you.
2. Think of how you feel when this part's best efforts fail and you feel hurt. Do you feel dejected, rejected, not good enough, etcetera? Write about this part. This gives you clues to a wounded inner child part/exile you might have
3. Write about how you react when you get wounded: do you blame others, get angry, or try to numb about the pain? Write about a part that reacts to protect you.
This is your inner system at work!
Inner Work Talks is hosted by Emma Donovan, MA, LPC, an inner work educator and guide, and founder of The Inner Work Hub, LLC where she teaches you how to discover, love, heal, integrate, and self-actualize every part of who you are. She is also a level 3 trained IFS therapist and the founder and therapist at Alternative Therapy STL.
Relevant links:
Venmo donations: @emmaclairedonovan
IG handle: Inner Work Girl
Acknowledgments:
I couldn't have made this podcast without the work of Richard Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems. This podcast episode pulls from this model to help you understand your psyche. You can find out more about the IFS model at the IFS Institute's website.
The music you hear at the beginning and end of this episode is created by Ryan Marquez. You can find him on Spotify and Instagram.
