Everyone is a Multiple Personality

What is parts work? I’m glad you asked! Parts work hinges on a theory of consciousness that explains the psyche as a puzzle of many pieces, with each piece representing a different personality. Everyone is a multiple personality and that this is healthy and normal. (In the case of severe trauma (what the DSM would call a dissociative disorder) these parts can become extreme and closed off and appear not to “know” each other, but this is a topic for another post). Multi-mindedness makes sense because, as you probably can relate to, people can be “of two (or more!) minds” about many things. I, for one, have certainly had the experience of acting and feeling “not like myself” in certain situations. Like, why did my voice get quiet and go up an octave when that stranger yelled at me for holding up the line at the coffee shop?!

Emotional Adaptations

One explanation for this experience is that different parts of us control emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and sometimes they have opinions all their own. I often think of them as an inner society or family. Parts aim is to protect us and each other (the whole system) and only want the best for us. Unfortunately, all our parts aren’t always updated on our present moment. In other words, they can get stuck in adaptive behavior from the past. Problems arise when these parts get hurt or traumatized. In the case of trauma or emotional injury parts take on roles to protect the system and continue in these roles even when the danger has passed. They become stuck. Think of a rut being formed in the nervous system that becomes the route certain parts take every time they’re triggered. For example, a part might pick up your phone and scroll social media for hours at night instead of going to bed (while, later, another part might beat you up for scrolling so long). What might this part be protecting you from? Try asking it! Each part has its own motivation for doing what it dies, and they all make sense once you understand the context within which they were formed.

The Power Parts Work

Have you ever reacted to a situation in a more extreme way than was warranted?Foe example, flying off the handle when you felt criticized or eating a whole pie the night before an important meeting? These examples could be the result of parts of you reacting to a present situation the same way they did in the past. Parts use the tools they learned long ago. The job of therapy is to update them on the current situation, give them new tools for coping, and release their protective stance to one of trusting your highest self as the decision maker of your life.

As a therapist, my aim is to help your highest Self take charge so the rest of you (i.e., your parts) can relax.

Using a holistic mix of therapies such as Internal Family Systems (IFS), polyvagal theory, somatic-based technique, and more, we can get started on your journey of self-discovery.