Making Sense of Your Protective Parts in Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS is a therapeutic tool that asserts that every human being is a system of protective and wounded inner parts, all led by a core Self. IFS was developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s, and it approaches therapy with the idea that the mind is naturally multiple, composed of sub-personalities or "parts." This is not related in any way to multiple personalities, but rather a natural state or internal system all individuals have. As mentioned, the core of this system is the Self, a compassionate, curious, and calm presence that can lead a person once a person understands their parts.
In the IFS framework, there are three main types of parts:
Exiles: Vulnerable, often young parts that carry painful emotions or memories.
Managers: Proactive protectors that try to control situations to prevent pain.
Firefighters: Reactive protectors that spring into action when pain is triggered.
The Nature of Protective Parts – they are Guardians of Your Inner World
Protective parts, are made up of both managers and firefighters. They play a crucial role in your inner ecosystem. They develop strategies to safeguard your internal system from perceived threats or overwhelming emotions. While their intentions are good, their methods can sometimes cause more harm than good.
The Birth of Protectors
Protective parts often emerge in response to challenging life experiences, particularly during childhood. For instance:
A child who experiences unpredictable anger from a parent might develop a hypervigilant manager part to anticipate and prevent potential outbursts.
Someone who suffered emotional neglect might form a self-reliant manager part that avoids vulnerability at all costs.
An individual who experienced trauma might develop a firefighter part that uses substance abuse to numb painful memories.
Understanding the origins of your own protectors can foster compassion for these parts and insight into their behaviors. Remember, there are “No Bad Parts” (Schwartz, 2020)!
Managers: The Proactive Guardians
Manager parts focus on maintaining control, order, and safety within your internal system. They often employ strategies to prevent the activation of painful emotions or memories.
Common Manager Strategies
Striving for perfection or achievement
Maintaining rigid control over thoughts, emotions, or behaviors
Criticizing self or others to motivate and avoid perceived failure
Worrying excessively to anticipate and prevent threats
Caretaking or people-pleasing to maintain relationship safety
Manager Archetypes
While each person's internal system is unique, some common manager archetypes include:
The Perfectionist: Sets impossibly high standards to avoid failure or criticism.
The Critic: Harshly judges self or others to motivate or protect from perceived threats.
The Worrier: Constantly anticipates potential problems to prevent them.
The Caretaker: Prioritizes others' needs to maintain relationship safety.
The Controller: Attempts to manage every aspect of life to prevent unpredictability.
Identifying Your Managers
To recognize your manager parts, consider these questions:
Do you have areas of your life where you're excessively rigid or controlling?
Are there voices in your head that constantly criticize or push you to do better?
Do you often find yourself worrying about the future or trying to plan for every contingency?
Is it hard for you to say no or set boundaries with others?
Journaling about these questions or engaging in guided visualization exercises can help you identify and understand your manager parts.
Firefighters: The Reactive Protectors
Firefighter parts emerge when your system is overwhelmed by distress, often due to the activation of exiled parts. They attempt to quickly extinguish the emotional "flames" through impulsive or numbing behaviors.
Common Firefighter Strategies
Engaging in impulsive or reckless behaviors
Using substances to numb painful feelings
Binge eating or purging to cope with overwhelming emotions
Self-harming or engaging in risky behaviors
Expressing anger or aggression to release distress
Firefighter Archetypes
Some common firefighter archetypes include:
The Addicted: Turns to substances or addictive behaviors to escape pain.
The Binger: Uses food or other consumables to cope with emotions.
The Rager: Expresses overwhelming emotions through anger or aggression.
The Numbing Agent: Disconnects from emotions through various means.
The Risk-Taker: Engages in dangerous activities to distract from inner pain.
Identifying Your Firefighters
To recognize your firefighter parts, reflect on these questions:
What do you tend to do when you're feeling overwhelmed or emotionally triggered?
Are there behaviors you engage in that feel out of control or that you later regret?
Do you have ways of "checking out" or numbing yourself when things get tough?
Are there patterns of behavior that seem to crop up suddenly in response to stress?
In conclusion, “IFS is frequently used as an evidence-based psychotherapy, helping people heal by accessing and healing their protective and wounded inner parts. IFS creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts” (Schwartz, 2023).
Kathleen Byrne, MA, EdS, MEd, PCLC
References
Schwartz, R.C. (2023). Introduction to the internal family systems model. Louisville, CO: Sounds True. (Original work published 2001).
Schwartz, R.C. (2023). You are the one you’ve been waiting for: Bringing courageous love to intimate relationships. Louisville, CO: Sounds True. (Original work published 2008).
Schwartz, R.C. (2020) No bad parts. Louisville, CO: Sounds True.
https://ifs-institute.com/