My theoretical orientation is integrative, drawing on a range of therapeutic modalities and healing practices in recognition of the fact that every person is unique and there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that works for everyone. I tailor my approach to suit the needs of each individual and utilise interventions from Humanistic therapy, Psychodynamic, CBT and Mindfulness amongst others.
I am trained in Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS), a revolutionary approach to therapy that views the mind as composed of multiple ‘parts’, each with their own thoughts, feelings and roles within the internal system. IFS therapy is about getting to know our parts, understanding how they are trying to help protect us from pain while healing the past wounds that made those protective strategies necessary. Please see below for further information on how IFS works.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy is a groundbreaking therapeutic approach that holds that our inner world is comprised of multiple different parts. In response to experiences that adversely impact our psychological wellbeing, parts take on the job of protecting us from further pain. In IFS, the goal is to help parts – who often have conflicting views on the best way to ensure safety – to work harmoniously together under the guidance of “Self”. Here’s how it works:
Parts
Emotionally distressing or traumatic experiences, particularly when experienced in childhood, can have a significant impact. They can leave us feeling ashamed, abandoned or afraid, and believing that we’re not good enough. Such painful feelings and negative self-beliefs are overwhelming for our internal system so parts spring into action to push these down and bury them deep inside. Parts then work hard to prevent these exiled feelings and beliefs from resurfacing and being felt again.
There are three types of parts in IFS:
Exiles
Exiles are the vulnerable parts that carry the emotional pain, trauma, and negative beliefs from wounding early experiences. They are often hidden away by manager and firefighter parts to protect the inner system from being overwhelmed by the distress they carry. Here are some common types of exiles:
Helping exiles heal early wounds and let go of the pain they carry is the goal of IFS therapy. However, before this can happen, it is essential to work with and reassure the protector parts whose job it has been to keep this pain at bay.
Managers
The job of managers is to stop us from feeling the raw pain and vulnerability held by exiles. Managers are proactive: they develop strategies and manage our lives in such a way as to minimise the risk of exiled feelings getting triggered and overwhelming the system. Here are some common types of manager parts:
Manager parts can be brilliantly effective at their jobs but can be quite rigid in how they respond to situations – their protective strategies were often developed in childhood and worked well then but may no longer serve us in adulthood. They can also have unintended side-effects: for example, people pleaser parts often lead to exhaustion and neglect of one’s own needs while critical parts can chip away at one’s self-worth.
A lot of time in IFS therapy is spent working with manager parts. They need reassurance that there is a wise adult self that can handle the pain of exiles, and support to let go of the protective roles they may have been doing a long time.
Firefighters
Firefighter parts are reactive and deploy when the efforts of managers to keep exiled parts at bay fail. Firefighters step in to douse the flames of emotional pain when exiles get triggered. Here are some common types of firefighter parts:
Firefighter parts can provide immediate relief from emotional pain but they often get a bad rap as some of the strategies they utilise have harmful long-term consequences and appear self-sabotaging. It is important therefore to recognise the underlying positive intentions of these parts: that they are attempting to cope with overwhelming feelings and prevent further suffering.
Self
In IFS, the Self represents the core, authentic essence of a person, untouched by trauma or negative experiences. It is distinct from the various parts (managers, firefighters, and exiles) and serves as a compassionate leader within the internal system, seeking to bring understanding, acceptance and co-operation among often polarised parts.
When parts settle back enough to allow Self to take the lead, people often report a sense of calmness, curiosity, compassion, patience, connectedness and playfulness. Cultivating greater access to the Self is the cornerstone of IFS therapy, as it leads to a more integrated and harmonious internal system, ultimately promoting healing and personal transformation.
counsellor & psychotherapist
I’m a humanistic and integrative psychotherapist with over ten years experience. I have a special interest in Internal Family Systems Therapy.
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