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Who are “protectors” in IFS? What role do protectors play in our psyche? “Protectors” are the parts of ourselves that guard our “exiles”—the youngest and the most vulnerable parts of ourselves—from unpleasant thoughts, feelings, and memories. In other words, protectors are the defense mechanisms we use to avoid getting hurt. Keep reading to learn about the concept of IFS protectors and how to work with them in therapy.
What is meant by “soul work”? What are some things you can do to improve your soul’s health? According to Ryan Holiday, doing soul work is the key to happiness and contentment. To begin to heal your soul, you must confront and heal your spiritual wounds, cultivate virtue, and connect to something beyond yourself. Here’s how to do soul work, according to Ryan Holiday.
Who are “exiles” in IFS? What role do exiles play in the psyche? Exiles are key concepts in the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. Exiles are the most vulnerable parts of ourselves that get triggered when we experience intense negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, or shame. Keep reading to learn about the concept of IFS exiles and how exiles manifest in our behaviors.
How do you heal a troubled soul? What are the signs that your soul is hurting? To grow spiritually, you should first address the negativity you hold in your soul. According to Ryan Holiday, the author of Stillness Is the Key, to heal your soul, you must work on resolving your childhood trauma and releasing toxic emotions such as anger, desire, and dissatisfaction. Here’s how to reclaim your soul from toxicity and agitation.
Have you ever felt like a part of you is telling you one thing, while another part is saying the opposite? Why do we sometimes desire and feel things that contradict one another? According to psychiatrist Richard Schwartz, conflicting internal voices are totally normal. He suggests that, instead of being only one person, we all hold subpersonalities within ourselves that relate to each other in the same ways that members of a family might relate to one another. Keep reading to learn about the psychology behind subpersonalities.
What does it mean to have a strong mind? How do you cultivate mental strength? A strong mind is a calm and clear mind. According to Ryan Holiday, the author of Stillness Is the Key, the key to developing mental strength lies in cultivating wisdom and humble confidence. With this in mind, here are some tips on how to cultivate mental strength so you can be free from worries and immune to ignorance.
What exactly is “unburdening” in the IFS? What is the purpose of the unburdening process? In the Internal Family Systems (IFS), unburdening follows unblending: When we’re no longer blended with our parts, we can start the process of helping our parts unburden, or let go of the emotional weight that keeps them trapped in their roles. Unburdening is key to healing the Internal Family Systems. Keep reading to learn about IFS unburdening.
What exactly is personality? Is one’s personality fixed for life? Most people think of their personality—the totality of their abilities, preferences, and temperaments—as something innate and unchanging. However, science shows that you can, in fact, change your personality. Moreover, the idea of a fixed personality is unhelpful because it limits what you can achieve. Here’s why the idea of a fixed personality is problematic.
Do you feel like you don’t have enough free time off work and other daily responsibilities? How can you carve more free time out of your day to spend on yourself? Many people complain they don’t have enough free time to rest and enjoy themselves. However, most of us have plenty of free time, but we spend it on mindless, low-value activities that drain instead of energizing us. With this in mind, here’s how to make the most of your free time.
What is IFS therapy? What psychological wounds is IFS used to treat? Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an integrative and evidence-based method of psychotherapy developed by Richard Schwartz. IFS-trained therapists use questions, suggestions, and active listening to guide clients through the process of getting to know their inner family system and healing their wounded parts. To understand IFS therapy, it’s important to first understand the two foundational concepts on which it’s built: multiplicity and systems thinking.