Freedom of Choice By Adrienne Burton Insight One: I Am Self - The leader of my internal system whose presence is compassionate wisdom I have been in recovery for over four years now and let me tell you, the journey has not been a vacation. When I first made the decision to get off the hamster wheel of pain and suffering, all I wanted was to feel better. I wanted to find the right combination of doctors, therapists and practitioners that would “fix” me so I could get back to “normal.” Little...
5 months ago • 4 min read
Befriending Our Protective Parts By Achara Tarfa Insight Four: All parts are welcome – May I accept that they hold a positive intent Do you have parts that remind you of your painful past? Parts that are afraid that if you focus on the good of your recovery journey or what's to come, you might experience pain again? These parts often work hard at reminding you of past suffering, perhaps to protect you from future disappointment. As I sit here reflecting on my recovery journey, I'm feeling...
6 months ago • 3 min read
Connection is the Currency of Recovery By Adrienne Burton Insight Three: We live in a body – May I respectfully seek awareness and connection Healing and recovery, whether from trauma, addiction, illness, or emotional pain, are deeply personal journeys. While many people think of healing as an individual effort, the truth is that connection with others and oneself, plays an essential role in the healing and recovery process. Co-Regulation At the heart of connection is co-regulation, the...
8 months ago • 4 min read
Reflections in Recovery by Adrienne Burton Insight Seven: May I heal my burdens - Which allows my parts to express their inherent gifts I’ve been practicing internal family systems (IFS) for over two years now and have made considerable progress in understanding and caring for my system. Actually, as I reflect back, it’s really been more like four years in total, although for the first two years I didn’t know that I was developing the building blocks that would ultimately support me when I...
10 months ago • 4 min read
Resolved to Rest by Adrienne Burton Insight Eight: I Take Care of My System - May I be present as a source of strength for my parts As the calendar turns over into a new year, I am choosing a different path than usual. Rather than following the trend to set resolutions and get myself geared up for a list of new things, I am following nature’s example in this winter season and enjoying some rest. Winter, especially in colder climates, is a time when many plants, animals, and ecosystems slow...
11 months ago • 4 min read
Good Grief, Part 2 by Adrienne Burton Insight Seven: May I heal my burdens - Which allows my parts to express their inherent gifts Grieving often seems easier to understand when a loved one has passed away, but what about when we have lost someone that is still living? Perhaps it was the end of a romantic relationship or a rupture with a close friend. And what about a loss that we may have chosen like retiring from a job or leaving home to move to a new city for opportunity. Some scenarios...
12 months ago • 3 min read
Good Grief by Adrienne Burton Insight Seven: May I heal my burdens - Which allows my parts to express their inherent gifts The one constant thing in life is change and all change involves loss of some kind—letting go of what was in favor of what is becoming. Even though what we give up in the process of change may be something we are happy to let go of, it is loss nonetheless—and every loss involves grief. Grieving doesn’t always require an extensive process. In some cases, it can be as...
about 1 year ago • 3 min read
Exploring the Insights #3 Insight Three: We Live in a Body - May I respectfully seek awareness and connection The body is the house that our parts and Self live in, and it serves as a means of communication between the internal system and the outside world. It allows us to express outwardly what we think and feel inwardly. It also collects information through the five senses from the surrounding environment that the mind interprets for meaning and decision-making. The sensory information that...
about 1 year ago • 2 min read
Exploring the Insights #2 Insight 2: I Have Parts – May I be open to the idea that they have differing needs and perspectives The IFS model recognizes that our psyches or personalities are comprised of an “internal family” of different parts, sometimes called subpersonalities or ego states. Like a family member, each part has its own opinions, attitudes, thoughts, feelings, memories, points of view, beliefs, motives, assumptions, and perspectives about the world. For example, a part of you...
over 1 year ago • 2 min read