James Fitzgerald Therapy PLLC

Introduction

This outline is designed to help you understand the Internal Family Systems (IFS) informed approach to therapy. IFS, developed by Richard C. Schwartz, is based on the idea that each person’s mind contains multiple sub-personalities, also called “parts” or “internal family members.” These parts often take on specific roles that shape your feelings, behaviors, and interactions. In addition to these many parts, there is a core Self, which is a natural leader equipped with qualities such as calmness, clarity, courage, confidence, creativity, curiosity, connection, compassion, consideration, cooperation, patience, and presence. By learning to identify, un-blend, and heal these parts, you may be able to cultivate deeper self-awareness, improve emotional balance, and nurture healthier relationships.

Basic Assumptions

The IFS model begins with the premise that everyone has multiple sub-personalities within the mind. For example, one part of you might feel eager to join a social event while another part wants to stay home and rest. These sub-personalities interact much like a family, forming partnerships and coalitions and, at times, engaging in internal power struggles. Every part, even those that seem unhelpful or destructive, ultimately wants to protect you in its own way. When you begin paying attention to these parts and give them space to share their perspective, parts can reorganize into new roles that reduce internal conflict and lead to positive change.

The IFS approach also teaches that each person has an innate Self, which contains the leadership qualities the internal system needs to function harmoniously. There are no “bad” parts; instead, parts may carry burdens that keep them stuck in painful or protective roles. Finally, IFS observes that as internal relationships shift, external relationships also tend to improve, demonstrating the interplay between someone’s inner experiences and outward behaviors.

Demystifying the Idea of an Internal System of Parts and your Conscious Self

Clinical Perspectives

From a clinical standpoint, the notion of “parts” refers to different clusters of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral patterns that emerge in response to various life experiences. Each part can develop a specific set of coping strategies, beliefs, and emotional responses that collectively shape how an individual navigates challenging situations. Clinicians often observe these parts arising in sessions: one may be critical, another might be avoidant, and still another might hold deep sadness. Conceptualizing them as distinct yet interconnected sub-personalities allows the clinician and client to address conflicts and vulnerabilities in a structured, non-pathologizing way. This perspective aims to reduce shame and blame, instead offering understanding that each part evolved to serve a protective or adaptive function.

Academic Perspectives

Academic literature on sub-personalities, parts work, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) provides an organized framework for viewing the human mind. Researchers draw on fields such as developmental psychology, attachment theory, and cognitive-behavioral science to highlight how early experiences can shape enduring mental and emotional patterns. Studies often propose that splitting the psyche into parts is a natural way for individuals to handle stress or trauma. In this sense, parts are not “made up” or purely metaphorical; instead, they represent observable and meaningful groupings of schema, core beliefs, and behavioral patterns. Because each part has a role within the broader internal system, understanding these roles academically can give insight into how parts can be transformed or “unburdened” through therapeutic intervention.

Scientific Perspectives

Scientific inquiry into parts work involves examining the neurological and physiological correlates of different internal states. Researchers using neuroimaging techniques, for example, may investigate shifts in brain activation when an individual accesses certain thoughts or emotions associated with a particular part. While this research is ongoing, preliminary findings suggest that the mind’s ability to shift gears—to think, feel, and behave differently—may correspond to distinct patterns of neural activation. Conceptualizing parts can therefore be seen as a way to map the client’s subjective experience onto observable patterns in brain functioning. This approach does not reduce parts work to mere biology; it instead helps ground the practice in testable hypotheses about how different facets of consciousness operate and interact.

Parts as Non-Pathologizing Categories

Parts work offers a non-pathologizing way to categorize symptoms, behaviors, and beliefs by framing them as protective or adaptive responses that developed over time. Instead of diagnosing someone as “disordered” for experiencing internal conflicts, this approach acknowledges that each cluster of feelings, impulses, or memories has a purpose—often rooted in the desire to keep the person safe. A part that is anxious and hypervigilant may be trying to prevent the client from experiencing past traumas again. A part that procrastinates may be attempting to protect the client from feelings of failure or shame. Rather than judging these reactions as “bad,” the parts framework encourages compassion and curiosity. By recognizing each part’s origins and motivations, the individual can see how their internal world formed in a logical, albeit sometimes maladaptive, fashion.

Secular Ways to Approach and Engage in Parts Work

Although some individuals find spiritual or faith-based interpretations of parts work beneficial, there are many secular avenues for approaching this concept. A purely psychological model views each part as a product of learning, memory, and behavioral conditioning. Talk therapy, journaling, and guided imagery can be employed to identify, dialogue with, and ultimately help heal these sub-personalities. Cognitive-behavioral strategies—such as labeling automatic thoughts and evaluating core beliefs—can be integrated to demystify the process for those who are skeptical of overtly spiritual explanations. Psychoeducation about childhood development and attachment can also highlight how certain parts formed in response to early relational patterns, making it clear that parts work can be rooted in mainstream psychological theory without invoking spiritual or pseudoscientific elements.

The Importance of Mindfulness

Mindfulness training is central to helping the client remain present while exploring the landscape of internal parts. By practicing non-judgmental awareness, the individual can learn to observe emerging thoughts, emotions, or physical sensations with curiosity rather than immediate reactivity. This sense of mindful presence helps the client avoid becoming overwhelmed or fused with a particularly distressed part. It also creates a calm internal “space” in which the client can ask meaningful questions like, “What is this part feeling or believing right now?” Engaging in regular mindfulness practice—whether through formal meditation or simple grounding exercises—can therefore greatly enhance the effectiveness of IFS or any secular self-therapy approach that involves parts work.

A Compassionate and Steady Process

For someone new to this idea, it can feel disorienting or even uncomfortable to speak about themselves as though they contain many smaller selves. However, normalizing this perspective can significantly reduce self-judgment. Clinicians often emphasize gentleness, reminding the client that each part has valid reasons for its existence. Over time, as the client learns to recognize and communicate with these parts, trust grows within the internal system. As trust builds, parts become less guarded and more open to change. This process can be challenging, but it is also a powerful means of self-discovery. By honoring each part, acknowledging the science behind how brains adapt to life events, and maintaining a regular mindfulness practice, the client can gradually cultivate greater internal harmony, resilience, and well-being.

The Self

In IFS, the Self is understood as the core of one’s being that exists from birth and is separate from any sub-personality. This Self is free of ego and marked by qualities such as calmness, curiosity, connectedness, confidence, creativity, courage, and clarity. You may find that when others demonstrate a supportive and nurturing presence, they are likely showing “Self” energy. Engaging in therapy from the Self can help you remain open-minded and compassionate toward your parts and toward others in everyday life.

Understanding Parts

According to IFS, parts are sub-personalities or aspects of one’s personality. They can show up as thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, emotions, sensations, memories, or images in the mind and experiences of physical sensations in the body. Sometimes parts appear adaptive and socially acceptable; other times, they may react out of fear or distress. Regardless of how they appear, every part wants something positive for you, often using strategies like fueling depression, facilitating dissociation, or pushing people away in order to protect more vulnerable parts within the system.

Parts that work protectively fall under three broad categories: Managers, Firefighters, and Exiles. Managers try to prevent pain from surfacing by keeping things under control. Firefighters take reactive steps to distract from pain once it has been triggered. Exiles are typically younger, more vulnerable parts that carry painful memories or burdens. This system of parts is fluid and will shift and adapt as parts learn how to communicate openly and trust the client’s Self-leadership.

Manager Parts

Manager parts are proactive and focus on preventing the hurt and vulnerability carried by exiles from being triggered. They often try to maintain external and internal stability by taking measures such as people-pleasing, perfectionism, overachieving, constant worry, or harsh self-criticism. If someone the client knows appears rigid or excessively controlled in their behavior, it is likely that a manager part is leading them. In the body, manager parts may create physical tension, constrained breathing, or muscle rigidity in an effort to stay in control.

Managers frequently fear that if they relax their vigilance, exiles will surface and overwhelm the system with painful feelings. They also worry that exploring exiles too deeply will trigger backlash from firefighter parts, or that revealing any “secrets” buried in the past will be too overwhelming to bear. As a result, manager parts often struggle to see the long-term benefits of self-exploration because they want to avoid the pain they believe is too strong to manage. These parts may also fear that internal changes will lead to disruptive changes in external relationships.

Firefighter Parts

Firefighter parts engage in more reactive strategies to protect the client when exiled feelings or memories get triggered. They can act in impulsive or even self-destructive ways to distract from or numb the emotional overwhelm associated with an exile’s pain. Firefighter parts might fuel behaviors like substance use, overeating, excessive sleeping, angry outbursts, or any activity that helps push the exile’s distress out of immediate awareness.

Because firefighters care only about stopping the pain, they often clash with managers who focus on maintaining social approval and stability. Firefighters may then be judged or shamed by managers, which can amplify the inner power struggle. Despite appearing chaotic or reckless, firefighters carry a heavy burden of responsibility for keeping exiles at bay. They, too, may long for transformation into a role that feels less exhausting and isolating.

Exiles

Exiles are frequently younger parts that have absorbed overwhelming emotions, beliefs, or memories from traumatic or neglectful experiences. They may carry self-blame, shame, fear, or intense sadness that the individual found too difficult to process in the past. The system often exiles these parts for protection, isolating them to prevent painful memories from surfacing in everyday life. When an exile becomes activated, it can flood the client with extreme feelings, creating a sense of desperation or hopelessness.

Once exiles are allowed to share their stories and are witnessed with compassion, they can release their burdens and become sources of sensitivity, creativity, and playfulness. They no longer need to remain stuck in the past once they feel safely connected to the client’s Self. This unburdening process is essential to moving beyond repeated cycles of internal conflict and achieving deeper healing.

Burdens

Burdens refer to the beliefs, memories, emotions, and sensations that parts accumulate from difficult experiences. These might include messages like “I’m worthless,” feelings of shame, or distressing memories of feeling neglected or rejected. Exiles often hold these burdens as a way of explaining what happened, carrying them silently until they have the opportunity to be witnessed and validated. Once the exile’s story is fully heard and understood, the part may let go of these burdens and adopt a healthier, more hopeful role in the internal system.

Accessing Parts

The client can connect with parts by revisiting an emotional situation, focusing on bodily sensations, or noticing an activated feeling in the present moment. For instance, the client might recall a recent argument and sense which part of them feels hurt or defensive. Or they might simply notice an uneasy sensation in the stomach or a tightness in the shoulders and explore which part is associated with that physical feeling. Engaging in reflection by asking, “What part is here right now?” or “Is it alright to focus on this feeling right now?” can open up a more curious and respectful dialogue with the parts.

Checking for Self-Leadership

When a part comes forward, it is important for the client to gauge how they feel toward that part. A sense of openness, compassion, or curiosity suggests that the client’s Self is present. If they instead feel impatient, frustrated, or overwhelmed, it may be a sign that another part is “blending” with their perspective. Once the client notices they are blending, they can ask the part to step back so the Self can listen more objectively. The ability to remain grounded, patient, and empathetic is the key hallmark of Self-leadership.

Being Present and Un-blending

Staying present means paying close attention to the part without judging, rushing, or trying to push it away. If the client feels overwhelmed or notices a shift that indicates a protective part is taking over, they can politely request that the part step aside or step back a bit. Asking, “Would you be willing to separate just enough for me to hear you clearly?” can help create some space. If the protective part resists stepping back, exploring its concerns with patience will often build trust over time.

Creating Trusting Relationships

When the client acts from their Self, they may naturally feel compassion toward each part, especially exiles that are in emotional distress. Letting the part know that the client is aware of its presence, that they understand how old they are now compared to when the exile’s pain originated, and that they want to offer acceptance, can foster trust. If the part is angry or distrustful, the client can remain curious, acknowledging the part’s right to those feelings while reassuring it that they are prepared to listen. Over time, even reluctant or skeptical parts can develop a new, more trusting relationship with the Self.

Identifying the Part’s Role

To further understand a part, the client might ask questions such as, “What do you do for me?” or “How long have you been doing this job?” These questions can illuminate the original purpose of the part’s behavior. Many parts do not like the demanding, exhausting, or harsh roles they have assumed, but they carry on with them because they believe there is no other choice. Understanding a part’s history and intentions often lays the groundwork for deeper collaboration and healing.

Addressing Concerns and Offering Hope

Many parts fear that exploring an exile’s pain will cause overwhelming distress or destructive repercussions. Manager parts may worry that opening up old wounds will lead to a “black hole” of emotion, while firefighter parts may fear more judgment from managers if the exile’s pain becomes visible. By validating these concerns and promising to address them step by step, the client shows respect for the system’s protective efforts. There is often a great deal of relief when parts see that it is possible to heal without becoming trapped in unbearable pain.

Gaining Permission to Work with Exiles

Before working directly with an exiled part, it is essential to gain the trust and permission of any manager or firefighter parts. If these protectors believe the client will be flooded by emotions, they may prevent access to the exile’s story. Asking if the protective parts are willing to allow the process—and reassuring them that they can intervene if things feel unsafe—builds cooperation rather than triggering internal sabotage. When protectors see that burdens can be released, they often realize they do not have to work so hard and become more open to letting the client connect with the exile.

Unburdening Exiles

Unburdening is the phase during which an exiled part can safely tell its story of what happened and how it felt. This part often relives the painful event, believing it is still happening, which is why it remains stuck in old feelings of shame, fear, or loneliness. When the client offers comforting, compassionate presence, the exile gradually realizes it is no longer alone or unsafe. The part can then choose to release the painful memories, beliefs, or burdens and integrate into the internal family with greater freedom and security. Finally, the part settles into a more positive role, sometimes even embodying joy, creativity, or tenderness that enriches the client’s overall well-being.

Polarizations and Warring Parts

Sometimes, two or more parts become polarized, forming alliances that compete for control. A manager part may judge a firefighter part’s impulsive behavior, while the firefighter defends itself by intensifying its efforts to distract from pain. This repetitive clash can feed addiction cycles or self-criticism that never fully addresses the deeper hurts of exiled parts. To help resolve polarization, the client can listen carefully to each side, reassure both that their views will be heard, and then work together to release the burdens fueling their standoff. When the exile’s pain finally receives the attention it needs, polarized parts often relax and learn to coexist more peacefully.

Techniques for Getting to Know Parts

There are various ways for the client to explore these internal relationships. One approach is concretizing, in which an object—like a rock, doll, or figurine—represents a part that has agreed to step back. Placing this object somewhere visible can serve as a reminder that the part is acknowledged. Journaling can also be helpful, with the client devoting space in a notebook to different parts’ voices.

This method clarifies internal dialogues and patterns that might otherwise remain stuck in the client’s head. Some people find that sending emails to a private account or recording short videos can capture the raw emotions and beliefs expressed by particular parts. Others use sand trays, expressive arts, or special interactive apps that allow them to physically move representations of parts around a virtual space. A mindfulness-based practice that actively invites parts to step forward is another way to listen for inner voices and sensations, allowing the client to approach them with curiosity and compassion.

Conclusion

Internal Family Systems is a model of therapy that emphasizes compassion, curiosity, and hope. By recognizing and respecting each part’s protective role, the client can begin to build trusting relationships within themselves. As manager and firefighter parts learn that the client’s Self is strong enough to care for the exiles, the entire internal system moves toward harmony. This inner work often leads to profound emotional healing, enhances relationships, and helps the client live with greater authenticity and self-compassion. With patience, openness, and gentle persistence, the IFS model can transform old wounds into opportunities for growth, resiliency, and lasting change.

References

• Earley, J. (2009). Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Inner Wholeness Using IFS. Pattern System Books.
• Holmes, T. R., Holmes, L., Eckstein, S., & Eckstein, J. (2007). Parts work: An illustrated guide to your inner life. Kalamazoo: Winged Heart Press.
• Schwartz, R. C. (1995). Internal Family Systems Therapy. The Guilford Press.
• Schwartz, R. C., & Sweezy, M. (2020). Internal Family Systems Therapy (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press.
• IFS Institute. (n.d.). What is IFS? https://www.ifs-institute.com