All Parts Welcome

The book "Internal Family Systems Therapy with Children". Its author, Lisa Spiegel, specializes in developmental psychology and works with children and adults. In her practice, she combines EMDR, mindfulness techniques, and yoga with play therapy. For over a decade, she has also been using the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. This small but very useful book is about the effects it brings in child therapy.

As a quote, here's one of the exercises:

"Finding Parts"

• Sit comfortably and quiet yourself. Place your right hand on your left, connecting your thumbs, and rest your hands on your knees. Take ten deep breaths; inhale and exhale through your nose, counting to four on both inhale and exhale.

Observe every sensation in your body and the flow of thoughts.

• Recall a recent situation where someone or something troubled you, and play out that scene in your imagination.

Pay attention to any changes you feel in your body; it might be muscle tension, sensations in your gut, or changes in your breathing or heartbeat. For now, just notice these sensations.

• Try to focus on the part of yourself that is troubled in this situation. You might see yourself or an image that represents these agitated feelings. With compassion and curiosity, ask this part what troubles it.

• Let this part know that you want to hear what concerns it. If you notice other reactions emerging between this part and your curious, open heart, kindly and firmly ask them to move to the waiting room so you can listen to the troubled part.

Ask how this part is trying to help you. What would it like you to know? Spend some time with this part. Ask how you can be helpful to it.

After this part tells you about its feelings and beliefs, thank it for showing up.