@SusanEllen66 Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapy model built on the premise that each of us has different parts. Some parts are created in the moment of a traumatic event. These traumatized parts are there to take in that event to keep you safe from feeling the overwhelming burden of it. Other parts might be your younger self — when you wake up in the morning and your younger part says ‘just lay here awhile’ and your adult part says ‘no, you have appointments and need to get ready’.

I will say now that this is the craziest thing you will ever do! At first, I felt silly talking to myself, but after awhile, I became comfortable speaking to whichever part wanted to come out.

For example, last week my 22yo part came to me. She is being abused by her husband and received no help from her parents (abuse and abandonment). After talking to this part, I asked her if there was a place she would rather be — yes, a cottage with a fireplace and big fluffy bed.

So far I’ve ‘unburdened’ about a dozen parts, ranging in age 3/4 to a couple of parts which are ageless. If you can get into it, the results are stunning. I unburdened a holiday depression part last week, and I feel like a weight lifted off of me.

This therapy isn’t for everyone, but so many other therapy models had failed for me. This is the only one that clicked. Mostly because I’ve known that I have parts for nearly 40 years (when I thought I was schizophrenic).