IFS -parts work.

Great post from Dr. Arielle Schwartz on F.B. 

The goal of parts work therapies is to realize and integrate the disowned emotions or traumatic memories held by exiled parts of the self. This helps take personal responsibility now to repair ruptures from events that we experienced in the past.

You can think of this as learning to travel through time and revisit events from time in our lives that remain unresolved. For example, a series of events brought back memories from when I was 15. So, I time traveled in my mind back to 1987. Since this was one of the tougher years of my life, a time when I felt as though I was drowning in a sea of shame, I took this journey with the wise counsel of another therapist. I touched into the pain held by that younger me. I finally was able to grieve and let go of the heavy weights that I carried for over 30 years in my body and mind. 

Little did I know then, that I would rise up again, like a Phoenix. I didn’t know how many important lessons would be learned or that I would find courage. I didn’t know that I would grow up and find beauty in myself. And, that my inner work would also allow me to guide others toward their inner light. As a time traveler, now I know that life had so much more in store for me. That I would find love. That I was always worthy of love.

I love this fitting quote by Thich Nhat Hanh, 

“With practice, we can see that our wounded child is not only us. Our wounded child may represent several generations. Our mother may have suffered throughout her life. Our father may have suffered. Perhaps our parents weren’t able to look after the wounded child in themselves. So when we’re embracing the wounded child in us, we are embracing all the wounded child in our past generations. This practice is not a practice for ourselves alone, but for numberless generations of ancestors and descendants.”

My words

I love this description of parts work by Dr. Arielle Schwartz.

For me it’s like going on an inner journey, back in time, but time travel is another way to say this.

It’s also a gentle way to work.

It’s called IFS Internal Family Systems Therapy.

I offer this alongside the Shamanic.

As Shamanic IFS, where the Shamanic is more of a supporting framework for the IFS work.

But I also find IFS to be a Shamanic way to work.

That’s just my perspective.

I have been in a year of transition.

Which way am I going? 

What do I offer? 

Answers came today, that feel right…..

I offer IFS as my way of working with the Shamanic. 💕. 

So grateful for that answer.

My Shamanic training recently and past, informs all my other practices and my life.

As in our connectedness to each other and all life.

So semi- retired still.

And offering Reiki too.

And a Meditation for Peace Circle.

💕. 

No new spaces for IFS as yet, will update as necessary. 

Reiki Spaces for now, Yes.

21/12/23