Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy invites us to explore our inner world, much like gazing at a night sky filled with stars. Each star represents a “part” of you—some shine brightly and enduringly, while others flicker briefly. Together, these stars form the unique universe of your inner self, each with its own qualities and mysteries.

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In IFS, our parts are understood as distinct aspects of who we are, each with a role to play.

 

Protectors work hard to keep us safe from pain. Some, like “Managers,” focus on planning and avoiding risks, steering us away from situations that could lead to rejection or failure. Others, known as “Firefighters,” respond in the moment to emotional crises, acting quickly and sometimes recklessly to extinguish the flames of distress.

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Behind these protective parts are Exiles, the parts of us that hold the pain of past wounds—feelings of being unseen, hurt, or shamed. These Exiles often represent younger versions of ourselves who lacked the support needed to process difficult experiences. Protectors try to keep these vulnerable parts hidden, fearing that their pain might overwhelm us.

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At the center of it all is your sense of Self, your naturally calm and compassionate presence, which like the vastness of space, is capable of holding and understanding all parts. Through the IFS process, we reconnect with the hurt parts of ourselves, listening to their stories with curiousity and care. By offering them what they lacked in the past, we can help these parts heal through updating our deeply stored memories of pain, rejection, and shame. In doing so, we also relieve our protective parts of their roles, meaning our vigilant, people-pleasing, numbed out, or raging parts no longer need to protect us in the same way.

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As you reconnect with your parts, the stars of your inner universe grow brighter and more harmonious, transforming pain into healing and creating a deeper sense of wholeness.

Coherence Therapy helps us understand and transform the emotional roots of our struggles by working directly with the brain's memory systems, much like updating old files in a filing cabinet. When we open a file—a memory trace tied to a strong emotional response—Coherence Therapy guides us to revise the information in that file. This means that when we access it again, we’re no longer stuck in automatic responses like avoidance, anger, or depression.

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A key insight of Coherence Therapy is the pro-symptom position, which highlights our sense of agency. It recognises that the symptoms we experience—whether anxiety, low mood, or self-sabotaging behaviour—aren't random; they serve a purpose that once helped us cope or stay safe. For example, a belief tied to "mistrust/abuse" might lead us to avoid closeness to prevent being hurt, or a schema around "failure to achieve" might push us into overwork or procrastination. These symptom-sustaining schemas are deeply rooted in memory and emotional learning.

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To truly change, Coherence Therapy relies on memory reconsolidation, a process rooted in neuroscience. Studies show that revisiting and altering a memory's emotional significance at the neural level—through protein synthesis—can create lasting transformation (Lane et al., 2015).

 

Techniques used to achieve this include:

1. Symptom Deprivation: Creating situations where the protective function of a symptom becomes unnecessary, allowing the underlying schema to surface and be addressed.

2. Imagery Rescripting: Revisiting a past event in imagination and changing its emotional outcome, offering a new sense of safety or resolution.

3. Sentence Completion: Guiding clients to complete statements that reveal hidden beliefs, helping them connect present symptoms to their roots.

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Through this process, the brain updates its files, replacing outdated responses with new, adaptive ways of being. As a result, symptoms naturally dissolve, leaving us feeling freer and more in control of our lives.

Somatic intervention therapies focus on the body as the central arena for experiencing, processing, and storing memories. Our bodies hold an inherent intelligence, capturing not only the moments of our lives but also the emotional imprints left by those experiences.

 

These somatic memories can sometimes get "stuck," causing our bodies to react in ways that feel disproportionate to the present moment. For example, you might feel a surge of rage—heat and trembling—after accidentally dropping a drink, or feel numb and disconnected during a disagreement with a partner. These clues suggest unresolved trauma stored in the body.

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Our nervous system plays a vital role in how we respond to our environment, operating in three primary states:

1. Ventral Vagal (Calm/Connected): This state supports feelings of safety and connection, where we feel grounded and able to engage with others.

2. Sympathetic (Fight/Flight): Activated in response to stress or danger, this state prepares us to act—our heart races, breath quickens, and muscles tense.

3. Dorsal Vagal (Freeze/Shutdown): This is a protective mode when the body perceives threat as overwhelming, leading to numbness, disconnection, or a sense of collapse.

The vagus nerve, a critical player in this system, acts as a "surveillance system" for our body. Stretching from the brainstem and branching into vital organs like the heart, lungs, it regulates heart rate, breathing, and digestion. This nerve helps determine whether we should mobilize, freeze, or relax based on environmental cues. When the nervous system is dysregulated by past trauma, our responses can become automatic and limiting.

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Somatic interventions help us regain choice and control over these automatic reactions, allowing us to move beyond physical armoring and toward a state of comfort and ease. By tuning into the body’s signals—like trembling during anxiety—we can learn what our nervous system needs and respond accordingly, bringing harmony between the brain and body.

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These interventions often combine modern neuroscience with ancient practices, offering techniques like:

• Breathwork (e.g., Breath of Fire, alternate nostril breathing) to regulate energy and calm the system.

• Movement to release stuck energy and reconnect with the body’s natural rhythms.

• Sound and Vibration (e.g., humming) to stimulate the vagus nerve.

• Temperature Practices (e.g., exposure to hot or cold) to reset the nervous system.

Through these practices, somatic therapy fosters a deeper connection to the body’s wisdom, helping us heal and find balance.