Understanding Parts Work & Why It Might Be Right for You

Understanding Parts Work: A Path to Healing Unresolved Trauma

We already know through extensive research that the body holds onto unresolved emotions and traumas. That makes sense, right? Everything we experience gets processed on multiple levels—mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Picture this: you’re driving on the highway during rush hour. Suddenly, a car zips in front of you, cutting you off. What happens next? You grip the wheel, feel your stomach clench, and maybe even slam on the brakes. Emotionally, you might feel a mix of fear and anger, bracing for what might come next.

In a split second, your body has picked up on the potential danger and prepared you to respond—tightening muscles, speeding up your heart, sending those physical signals up to your brain that say, "Hey, pay attention, something’s happening here!"

Once the moment passes, you might yell a bit, shake it off, or tell someone what happened to calm down and move on. No unresolved emotions lingering—your body has had a chance to process and release.

But what about trauma?

With trauma, our bodies and brains can get “stuck,” reacting to current situations as though they’re a threat, even if they aren’t. Those unresolved emotions send ongoing alerts to your brain that you’re in danger. Suddenly, normal situations start triggering fear, anxiety, and self-doubt.

Let’s say you’re starting to date again after being in a relationship with a narcissist. You meet someone kind, but whenever things start to get close, you shut down. Why? Because your body remembers feeling unsafe and tries to protect you from experiencing that again. This can impact everything—relationships, career, finances, and your health.

That’s where Parts Work comes in.

Parts Work (also known as Internal Family Systems or IFS) is a form of somatic experiencing that helps you connect with different “parts” of yourself, each holding onto its own experiences, emotions, and reactions. The part that avoids relationships? Maybe that’s the part that remembers past hurt. The part that pushes you toward perfection? Maybe it’s trying to make sure you’re “good enough” to avoid criticism or rejection.

Instead of ignoring or trying to "fix" these parts, Parts Work teaches us to listen and connect, helping those parts feel heard and begin to release their burdens. Through this work, you can heal from past trauma, create new patterns, and experience a life where you feel safe, whole, and present.

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