Is "Parts Work" the right therapeutic fit for you?

Have you heard people talk about "Parts Work Therapy" and wondered what it meant? Parts Work is a symbolic model that gives us a language and framework to process our inner awareness, and it can help us reach our goals in therapy. Keep reading to learn more about it, get some resources, and find out if Parts Work may be the right therapeutic fit for you.

Meeting the parts that make us

I’ve always found myself naturally using “Parts Work” language in therapy to help give voice to the seemingly conflicting emotional experiences or desires that exist within us (e.g., “a part of you is really angry” or “a part of you wants to stay in this relationship and a part of you wants to leave”). I didn’t fully realize how others were approaching it until I listened to an episode of the Notice That EMDR podcast on ego state work.

At its core,  Parts Work Therapy is based on the idea that we all have many parts inside of us, each trying in its own adaptive way to help us—even the “inner critic” or the parts that seem to cause harm. Every part developed to serve a need, and by understanding its origins and intentions, we can meet it with compassion and recognize when one part has taken over the “driver’s seat” or, in contrast, when one part has been relegated to the "back seat".

In Internal Family Systems (IFS), these parts have specific names (like managers, protectors, and exiles), while in other approaches—like Ego State Therapy (EST) or Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT)—we may use our own intuition to describe and work with them.

What I love about Parts Work is its non-pathologizing foundation. It invites us to  meet ourselves with compassion—not to battle or overcome our parts, but to truly see and understand them. If this resonates with you, you may want to look for a counsellor who specializes in this therapeutic tool to see if it might be a good fit for your needs.

Resources for Parts Work

Whether you are someone interested in seeking Parts Work Therapy for yourself, or a practitioner who might want to start using this tool with clients, here are some resources that might be a helpful starting point:

• “Listening When Parts Speak: A Practical Guide to Healing with Internal Family Systems Therapy and Ancestor Wisdom” by Tamala Floyd: I love the guided imagery meditations she includes and have really been enjoying using them with clients.
• Parts Work meditation: Dr. Cole at The Connection Clinic offers a guided grounding mediation rooted in the IFS framework that you can do in under 20 minutes.
• For people who'd like to do a deep dive in Parts Work, consider connecting with Natalie Amber, a colleague who specializes in this area. Natalie is a CCC, so she can work with clients throughout Canada.
• "Easy Ego State Interventions. Strategies for Working with Parts" by Robin Shapiro: I haven’t read this book yet, but I know a lot of therapists like it, so it might be worth checking out if you're a practitioner.

Questions for both clients and therapists: Have you tried the parts work approach? How did you feel? Did you find it useful to understand your experiences?