Internal Family Systems (IFS) and other approaches to "parts work" are based on the theory that we all have many parts / aspects of ourselves. Traditional IFS practice identifies and works with 3 categories of these parts - those which are in pain due to trauma and other difficult experiences (exiles), those which manage everyday life to avoid these exiles being touched / harmed (managing protectors) and those which react in more extreme ways in scenarios where either the exi

I’m an autistic psychotherapist. I have completed levels 1 and 2 IFS trainings. My level 1 was in 2020 with Osnat Arbel and Chris Burris; level 2 was in 2021 with Frank Anderson. In 2021 I also participated in a year long intensive training programme with Deb Dana (polyvagal theory in therapy). I then completed a 2 year training course in Interpersonal neuroscience and Inner Community work with Bonnie Badenoch via PCPSI (2022-24). I’ve also taken some live trainings with

The word “autism” was coined in 1912 by Paul Bleuler, a Swiss psychiatrist. “Auto” as a prefix comes from the Greek word “autos” which means “self, one's own, by oneself, of oneself.” “Ismos” as a suffix refers to state (ism). The “ic” in Autistic means “of / pertaining to”. So literally it means something like “pertaining to a state of selfhood”. The original notion was of "morbid self-absorption." A kinder definition I have heard over the years is that to be autistic is to