What would happen if we learned to embrace all parts of ourselves – even the ones we've previously pushed away? Just take a moment to imagine that.
Have you ever experienced inner conflict, where different parts of you want different things? Or felt pulled in opposite directions? As if parts of you have their own needs, each fighting to be heard? Or maybe you’ve felt emotions, thoughts, or bodily sensations suddenly take over your day without really understanding why?
We all have parts that need attention – parts of ourselves that we once had to hide away in order to be seen, loved, and attached to the adults we depended on as children. As Gabor Maté describes, most of us, as members of the human race, have at some point given up parts of our authenticity in exchange for the attention and attachment we needed.
That was a simple survival strategy that helped us get through back then – but as adults, we have the opportunity to break with that pattern and redefine our relationship with ourselves. If that strategy no longer serves us or feels good, we can choose a new way of being with ourselves.
IFS (Internal Family Systems) offers a path to do just that. It’s a profound somatic and psycho-emotional method for meeting ourselves with greater curiosity and compassion. When we learn to embrace all our inner parts with the same care we would offer a friend, we create a deeper connection to ourselves.
Personally, I’ve experienced how integrating IFS into my own practice and teaching has helped me feel more grounded and whole.
When we learn to make space for all parts of ourselves, we begin to discover that the path to self-love isn’t about changing who we are – it’s about making room for ourselves, exactly as we are.
Warmly,
Trine