Parts Work/Ego States Therapy

Healing Through Parts Work and Ego States Therapy

Parts work, also known as ego state therapy, is an approach that helps you understand and bring compassion to the different “parts” of yourself. These parts often develop as ways to protect you from pain or help you adapt to difficult situations. Some parts may carry wounds from the past, while others may try to manage daily life or keep you safe from getting hurt again.

Rather than trying to get rid of these parts, therapy invites understanding. Each part holds valuable information about what you’ve experienced and what you need to feel safe and whole. As we begin to recognize and care for each one, your internal world becomes more connected, balanced, and cooperative.

In our work together, we explore these parts at a pace that feels comfortable. My role is to help you build curiosity toward your inner system so that no part feels shamed, silenced, or ignored. When all parts are acknowledged, healing can unfold in a deeper, more lasting way.

What Parts Can Feel Like

  • The inner child who carries old wounds or unmet needs

  • The protector who tries to manage or control emotions to keep you safe

  • The perfectionist who believes worth depends on achievement

  • The inner critic who judges or doubts to prevent disappointment

  • The caretaker who focuses on others to avoid feeling alone

  • The avoidant part who distances from emotions or relationships when things feel too intense

  • The healthy adult self who can hold compassion, perspective, and balance

“There are no bad parts, only parts forced into extreme roles.”

— Richard Schwartz, No Bad Parts

What Parts Work Can Help You With

  • Feeling torn between wanting closeness and needing distance in relationships

  • Calming the part of you that worries or overthinks every decision

  • Understanding why certain triggers or comments feel so intense

  • Softening harsh self-criticism or perfectionism

  • Easing the pressure to constantly “hold it all together”

  • Making sense of mixed feelings about family, partners, or boundaries

  • Finding compassion for parts of you that still carry old pain

  • Learning to respond to yourself with care instead of judgment

  • Feeling more centered and at peace with who you are

A Compassionate Approach to the Inner Self

Parts work is based on the belief that every person contains many different “parts” or inner states that have developed to help them survive and adapt. Some carry pain or fear from the past, while others take on protective roles to prevent that pain from resurfacing. Even when these parts seem to create conflict or distress, they are rooted in a desire to help.

My approach emphasizes compassion and curiosity toward every part of you. Rather than judging or silencing these inner voices, we learn to understand what each one needs and how it has been trying to protect you. When your system begins to feel heard and respected, these parts can soften, communicate, and eventually work together toward balance.

Over time, this process helps you develop a stronger connection to your “core” or “adult self” — the calm, wise part of you that can hold space for all your emotions and experiences. Through this compassionate relationship with your inner world, healing becomes less about fixing what is wrong and more about integrating what has been separated.

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How EMDR and Parts Work Go Together

EMDR and parts work complement each other beautifully. Both approaches recognize that healing happens when all parts of you feel safe, seen, and included. EMDR helps the brain reprocess painful or confusing experiences so they no longer feel stuck in the present, while parts work helps us understand which inner parts might feel hesitant or protective during that process.

Before beginning EMDR reprocessing, parts work allows us to slow down and build trust within your system. Some parts may want to heal, while others may feel scared or unsure. By listening to these protective parts with compassion, we create the safety needed for deeper trauma processing.

When EMDR and parts work are used together, therapy becomes both structured and deeply personal. EMDR supports the body and brain in releasing what’s been held, while parts work ensures that no part of you is left behind. This integration helps healing unfold in a way that feels safe, collaborative, and lasting.

How This Integration Supports Healing

  • Creates a gentler, more personalized pace for trauma reprocessing

  • Helps your system stay grounded and connected while processing painful memories

  • Strengthens communication between protective and vulnerable parts

  • Allows EMDR work to feel safer and more stable, especially when dissociation is present

  • Encourages self-compassion and curiosity rather than pressure to “get it right”

  • Deepens emotional integration so healing feels more complete and embodied

  • Builds a lasting sense of inner cooperation and trust

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Frequently asked questions

  • Parts work is a gentle approach that helps you understand the different parts or inner experiences that make up who you are, like the part that worries, the part that shuts down, or the part that longs to rest. Each one formed for a reason. In therapy, we build understanding and compassion for these parts so they can begin to trust your adult self to lead with calm and care.

  • Many people who’ve experienced trauma describe feeling like they have different “parts” that hold certain emotions or memories. Parts work helps those inner experiences feel seen, understood, and connected again, without judgment or shame.

  • Parts work and EMDR complement each other beautifully. Parts work helps you develop safety and communication inside so that when we begin EMDR, all parts of you feel ready and included in the process. During EMDR, we often check in with protective or younger parts to ensure the reprocessing feels safe and supported at every step.

  • Yes. Parts work isn’t only for trauma survivors; it can be deeply helpful for anyone who feels conflicted, overwhelmed, or stuck. It helps you understand why certain patterns keep showing up and teaches you how to meet them with compassion instead of criticism.

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Life can feel heavy at times, and none of us are meant to carry it all alone. I’d be honored to walk alongside you as you find steadiness, clarity, and healing in your own way.

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