Untangling What’s Beneath
Look closely at the image — intertwined roots, deeply embedded, supporting life above and below the surface. This is how I see us in therapy: not as isolated beings, but as living systems shaped by what came before, what we’ve lived through, and what lives within us now.
In Internal Family Systems (IFS), we explore the parts of you — the protectors, the exiles, the inner critics, the nurturers. Like a root system, these parts are often tangled, complex, and ancient. Some of them are inherited — ancestral responses to trauma or patterns that once protected your family line.
Other parts developed in response to your own lived experience:
The perfectionist who learned to achieve to feel safe.
The inner child who still waits to be seen.
The protector who numbs pain to keep it manageable.
Through gentle exploration, we begin to untangle. To listen. To heal. You don’t need to cut the roots — you just need to understand them. And maybe, replant yourself in new soil.
Practice:
Try this IFS-inspired reflection:
Sit quietly. Place your hand on your heart. Ask, “Is there a part of me that wants to speak right now?”
Listen without judgment. Just notice. Thank that part for showing up.