What Is Parts Therapy and Why Is It All the Rage?

If you’ve been paying attention to therapy trends lately, you’ve probably heard people talking about “parts.” Someone might say, “Part of me wants to quit my job, but another part thinks I’m crazy.” Or a friend confides, “There’s a part of me that’s still stuck in that relationship.” This isn’t just casual conversation—it’s reflecting a therapeutic approach that’s taking the mental health world by storm: parts therapy.

Parts therapy, particularly through modalities like Internal Family Systems (IFS) has exploded in popularity over the past few years. Therapists are incorporating it into their practices, clients are experiencing breakthrough moments, and even people who’ve never been to therapy are adopting the language of “parts.” But what exactly is parts therapy, and why has it captured so much attention?

Understanding Parts Therapy: The Basics

Parts therapy is based on a surprisingly simple yet profound premise: we all have different aspects of ourselves, or “parts,” that sometimes want different things, hold different beliefs, and react to situations in their own ways. Rather than viewing these internal conflicts as problems to eliminate, parts therapy sees them as natural features of the human psyche that deserve understanding and compassion.

Think about the last time you felt truly conflicted about something. Maybe you were deciding whether to speak up about something that bothered you. One voice inside said, “Say something! Stand up for yourself!” Another voice cautioned, “Keep quiet. It’s not worth the conflict.” A third part might have been analyzing the situation logically, while yet another felt overwhelmed by the whole thing. These aren’t just random thoughts—they’re parts of you, each trying to help in their own way.

The revolutionary aspect of parts therapy isn’t just recognizing that we have different thoughts and feelings. It’s treating these parts as distinct entities with their own histories, motivations, and wisdom. When we approach our inner experiences this way, something remarkable happens: instead of being at war with ourselves, we can develop curiosity about why each part acts the way it does.

The Rise of Internal Family Systems

While several therapeutic approaches work with parts, Internal Family Systems therapy has become the most prominent form of parts therapy in recent years. Developed by psychologist Richard Schwartz in the 1980s, IFS offers a comprehensive framework for understanding and healing our internal world.

Schwartz discovered something unexpected while working with clients who had eating disorders. When he asked clients about the parts of themselves that wanted to binge or restrict food, they could describe these parts in vivid detail—as if they were distinct personalities with their own ages, appearances, and concerns. Even more surprisingly, when clients were encouraged to get curious about these parts rather than fight them, the parts began to reveal why they behaved the way they did. Almost universally, they were trying to protect the person from pain, shame, or overwhelming feelings.

This led to IFS’s central insight: we all have an undamaged core Self that’s naturally compassionate, curious, and capable of healing. When we access this Self, we can lead our internal system the way a wise parent might guide a family—with understanding rather than judgment, curiosity rather than control.

The IFS model identifies three main types of parts:

Exiles are young, vulnerable parts that carry burdens from painful past experiences. These are the parts of us that hold shame, fear, trauma, or deep hurt. Our system naturally wants to protect us from feeling these overwhelming emotions, so other parts work hard to keep exiles locked away.

Managers are the parts that try to keep everything under control. They’re the planners, the perfectionists, the people-pleasers, the critics. Managers work proactively to prevent situations that might trigger the exiles. If you have an inner voice that constantly pushes you to work harder, criticizes your appearance, or worries obsessively about what others think, you’re hearing from manager parts.

Firefighters spring into action when exiles do get triggered despite the managers’ best efforts. These are the parts that use more extreme or impulsive strategies to numb pain quickly: substance use, binge eating, compulsive shopping, dissociation, rage, or other behaviors that provide immediate relief. While their methods may seem destructive, firefighters are desperately trying to protect you from overwhelming feelings.

Why Parts Therapy Resonates So Deeply

The explosion of interest in parts therapy isn’t random. Several factors have converged to make this approach particularly relevant and appealing right now.

First, parts therapy validates something people instinctively know but may have been taught to ignore: that internal conflict is normal. For years, many therapeutic approaches focused on achieving a unified, coherent self. The goal was integration—smoothing out contradictions and becoming “whole.” But most people’s lived experience includes feeling pulled in different directions, wanting contradictory things, or acting in ways that surprise themselves.

Parts therapy says: you’re not broken because you feel conflicted. You don’t need to eliminate parts of yourself. You just need to understand them better and help them work together. This reframe is profoundly liberating for many people who’ve felt ashamed of their internal struggles.

Second, the language of parts provides a way to discuss difficult experiences without drowning in them. There’s a crucial difference between saying “I am depressed” and “A part of me feels depressed.” The first statement can feel totalizing and inescapable. The second creates psychological distance, reminding us that depression is something we’re experiencing, not the entirety of who we are. This linguistic shift isn’t just semantics—it genuinely changes how we relate to difficult emotions and experiences.

Third, parts therapy offers hope for healing trauma without necessarily requiring people to relive traumatic experiences in detail. Traditional trauma therapy often involved repeatedly recounting traumatic events, which could be retraumatizing for some clients. IFS and other parts-based approaches can help people heal by building relationships with the parts that carry trauma, gradually helping these parts feel safe enough to release their burdens—often without needing to excavate every detail of what happened.

Fourth, parts therapy aligns beautifully with growing cultural conversations about self-compassion and inner dialogue. As mental health awareness has increased, more people recognize the importance of how we talk to ourselves. Parts therapy provides a concrete framework for developing self-compassion by helping us see that even our most challenging behaviors come from parts trying to help us.

Parts Therapy in Practice: What Actually Happens

So what does parts therapy actually look like in a session? While approaches vary, most parts work follows a similar trajectory.

Initially, clients learn to notice and name their parts. A therapist might ask, “What’s coming up for you right now?” Rather than answering with a unified statement, the client learns to scan their internal landscape: “There’s a part that feels anxious about this conversation. Another part is telling me I’m being dramatic. And there’s a younger part that just wants someone to listen.”

The therapist helps the client develop curiosity about these parts. Instead of trying to change or eliminate them, the client begins asking questions: “How old does this part seem? What is it worried about? What does it want me to know?” This investigative stance is fundamentally different from trying to argue with or suppress uncomfortable parts.

As trust builds, parts begin revealing their deeper concerns and histories. That perfectionist manager might share that it developed during childhood when love felt conditional on achievement. The people-pleasing part might explain that it learned early on that being accommodating was the only way to stay safe in an unpredictable environment. These revelations foster compassion rather than criticism.

The ultimate goal is to help burdened parts release what they’re carrying and assume healthier roles in the internal system. That vigilant, anxious part doesn’t need to disappear—it might have valuable instincts about genuine danger. But it can relax its extreme vigilance when it trusts that the Self is present and capable of handling challenges.

This process isn’t quick or linear. Parts have often been doing their jobs for decades. They need time to trust that change is safe and that they won’t be abandoned or exiled for revealing themselves.

The Science Behind Parts Therapy

While parts therapy might sound esoteric, research is beginning to validate its effectiveness. Studies have shown IFS to be effective for treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, physical health conditions, and various other concerns. The approach has demonstrated particular promise for complex trauma, where traditional exposure-based treatments sometimes fall short.

Neuroscience is also catching up with what parts therapists have observed clinically. Research on neural networks suggests our brains do operate somewhat like IFS proposes—with different networks handling different functions and sometimes working at cross-purposes. When we experience internal conflict, different brain regions may literally be competing for control of our behavior and attention.

The concept of parts also aligns with attachment theory and research on childhood development. We know that children develop different strategies for getting their needs met and managing difficult emotions based on their early experiences. These strategies don’t disappear when we grow up—they become the parts we work with in therapy.

Common Misconceptions About Parts Therapy

As parts therapy has gained popularity, some misconceptions have emerged that are worth addressing.

Parts therapy doesn’t mean you have multiple personalities or dissociative identity disorder. Everyone has parts—this is normal human psychology, not pathology. Even people with DID can benefit from parts work, but having parts isn’t the same as having dissociated identities.

Working with parts isn’t about creating divisions within yourself. The goal isn’t to fragment but to understand the multiplicity that already exists. Most people find that parts work actually increases their sense of internal coherence because their parts can finally communicate with each other.

Parts therapy isn’t just positive thinking with extra steps. It’s not about convincing your anxious part to “just relax” or your critical part to “be nicer.” True parts work involves deep listening and understanding why parts act the way they do, then addressing the underlying concerns that drive their behavior.

You don’t need to visualize your parts or have elaborate internal conversations for parts therapy to work. Some people naturally visualize their parts as distinct entities; others simply notice different impulses or feelings. Both approaches are valid. The key is developing awareness and curiosity about your internal experience, however that manifests for you.

Who Benefits Most from Parts Therapy

While parts therapy can benefit virtually anyone, certain situations particularly lend themselves to this approach.

People who feel stuck in self-destructive patterns often find parts therapy illuminating. When you understand that the part driving the unwanted behavior is actually trying to protect you from something, you can address the underlying need rather than just trying to white-knuckle your way through behavior change.

Individuals dealing with complex trauma, especially developmental trauma, frequently respond well to parts work. These clients often have many protective parts that developed during childhood and haven’t updated their strategies for adult life. Parts therapy allows them to appreciate these parts’ historical importance while helping them evolve.

Those struggling with harsh self-criticism discover that their inner critic is a part trying to protect them—often from the shame or failure it fears will devastate them. This reframe makes it possible to develop compassion for the critic rather than fighting it or, worse, believing everything it says.

People in high-stress careers often carry parts that drive them to overwork, neglect self-care, or suppress emotions in service of achievement. Parts therapy helps these clients maintain their ambition while caring for the younger, more vulnerable parts that need attention.

Integrating Parts Therapy with Other Approaches

One of parts therapy’s strengths is its compatibility with other treatment modalities. Therapists often integrate parts work with cognitive-behavioral therapy, EMDR, somatic experiencing, and other evidence-based approaches.

For instance, when a CBT therapist helps a client identify distorted thinking patterns, they might frame this as getting to know a particular part and understanding its protective function. EMDR therapists increasingly incorporate IFS language when processing traumatic memories, helping clients identify which parts are activated during processing.

This integrative potential has contributed to parts therapy’s widespread adoption. Therapists don’t need to abandon their existing training to incorporate parts-based thinking—they can enhance their current approach with parts language and concepts.

Finding the Right Therapist for Parts Work

If you’re interested in exploring parts therapy, seeking out a therapist specifically trained in Internal Family Systems or another parts-based modality is worthwhile. While the basic concepts are accessible, skilled parts work requires training and practice.

Look for therapists who list IFS, ego state therapy, or parts work among their specialties. Many therapists complete formal IFS training through the IFS Institute, which offers different levels of certification. However, formal certification isn’t the only marker of competence—many excellent therapists integrate parts work after training in multiple modalities.

During an initial consultation, you might ask how the therapist works with parts, what their training includes, and whether they’ve helped other clients with concerns similar to yours. A good parts therapist will demonstrate curiosity and compassion in their own responses, qualities that translate directly into their therapeutic approach.

The Future of Parts Therapy

As parts therapy continues gaining recognition, several exciting developments are emerging. Research is expanding, with more studies investigating IFS effectiveness for various conditions. Training programs are proliferating, making parts-based approaches more accessible to therapists worldwide.

We’re also seeing parts language entering mainstream culture. When people naturally describe their internal experience using parts language, it suggests a cultural shift toward acknowledging our psychological complexity rather than demanding false unity.

Technology is even getting involved, with apps and online programs teaching basic parts work skills. While these can’t replace therapy for serious concerns, they’re democratizing access to parts-based self-reflection.

Perhaps most significantly, parts therapy represents a broader movement toward compassion-based healing models. Rather than viewing psychological distress as something to eliminate or suppress, parts therapy encourages us to meet all aspects of ourselves with curiosity and care. This philosophical shift has implications far beyond therapy offices.

Taking the First Steps

Whether you’re struggling with specific challenges or simply interested in deeper self-understanding, parts therapy offers a powerful framework for internal exploration. The beauty of this approach is that you can begin working with your parts even before entering formal therapy.

Start by simply noticing when you feel internal conflict or hear different “voices” weighing in on a situation. Rather than trying to resolve the conflict immediately, get curious: What does each part want? What is each part worried about? What might each part be trying to protect you from?

Practice speaking to yourself with the same compassion you’d offer a good friend. When you notice harsh self-criticism, recognize that a part is active and ask what it’s trying to accomplish. When you feel conflicted about a decision, acknowledge each part’s perspective rather than forcing a premature resolution.

If you decide to pursue formal parts therapy, remember that healing takes time. Parts that have been working hard to protect you for years won’t transform overnight. But with patience, curiosity, and the right therapeutic support, you may discover that the very parts you’ve been fighting against hold the keys to your deepest healing.

Parts therapy isn’t just another therapeutic fad—it’s a profound shift in how we understand and relate to ourselves. By recognizing our internal multiplicity as natural rather than problematic, we open doors to genuine self-acceptance and lasting change. In a world that often demands we have it all together, parts therapy offers permission to be complex, contradictory, and still completely whole.

If you’re interested in exploring Internal Family Systems therapy and learning more about how parts work might benefit you, visit Internal Family Systems Therapy in Chicago to discover how this transformative approach can support your healing journey.