Melbourne trauma psychotherapy

My understanding of psychological and emotional functioning utilises a model that upholds each individual as having multiple ‘parts’ of self, with the term ‘parts’ meaning different aspects of self that can have conflicting thoughts, feelings or behaviours. Parts work has been popularised in the last decade by internal family systems therapy (IFS), and schema therapy, with my own therapeutic conceptualisation and interventions drawing more from a psychodynamic, schema approach.

A parts-based model of understanding human emotions and behaviours is consistent with existing knowledge regarding human development, the neurobiological impact of trauma and dissociative processes to manage trauma, and a psychodynamic understanding of how patterns of emotional and relational regulation develop (see my page on ‘Relational psychotherapy’ for further information). The presence of various and competing ‘parts’ of self can help to explain why individuals can experience or exhibit behaviours that are incongruent with their own values, commitments or hope for change. A parts-based model of self can also help to explain why change can be so difficult – parts of self can be hard to access without recognising their unique patterns, or using specific techniques to explore their presence, meaning their influence over an individual’s behaviour can continue without awareness (see my page on ‘Experiential techniques‘ for further information on techniques that can be used to access and express parts of self).

Parts of self develop when a child’s basic emotional needs are not met. These needs are universal for children, and include:

• Attachment security, and safety
• A sense of competence, and independence
• The freedom of emotional expression
• An ability to be spontaneously playful, to have fun
• Healthy limits/ realistic boundaries, and development of self-control

If a child’s relational and environmental context cannot meet these needs, children – because of their malleable and adaptive abilities – will develop coping strategies that push away their own needs/emotions, to allow them to remain in relationship with others in their environment. This is ultimately a process of sacrificing the self, to maintain connection (a form of ‘safety’). For example, if a child’s tears are met with punishment, humiliation or silence, the child will learn to suppress their sadness either through avoidance of their own emotions, or the development of an inner critic who expresses hatred/disgust at sadness when this feeling emerges. The development of either of these strategies – avoidance of emotion, or internal shame when emotion is expressed – becomes a repeated pattern of responding and, subsequently, a ‘part’ of self is born.

There are several categories of parts of self – child selves, compliant parts of self (e.g. people-pleasing behaviour), avoidant parts of self (e.g. parts that are numb, develop addiction), over-compensating parts of self (e.g. perfectionism), and inner critics (that induce feelings of guilt, and shame). While these parts of self have developed as strategies to manage difficult emotional and relational experiences in childhood, their continued use in adulthood presents difficulties for individuals in their overall mental health and wellbeing.

Therapy that acknowledges parts of self therefore aims to support individuals to: become more consciously aware of their authentic needs and emotions; identify the different parts of self, how they developed, and how they get activated in the current day; address past traumatic experiences that led to the development of different parts of self, and; develop a healthy and integrated adult self who can identify their own needs and take steps to have these needs met in a healthy way. These are very similar aims to those used in relational psychotherapy, and I see the development of ‘parts’ and ‘patterns’ – and their healing – in a similar way. For more information on interventions I might use to support individuals, please see my pages on ‘Relational psychotherapy‘ and ‘Experiential techniques.’