Glossary

A glossary of terms and concepts I use often here on Unfolding.

Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

Complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a diagnostic term first proposed by Judith Herman in 1992 to describe the symptomology of survivors of repeated or prolonged interpersonal trauma. However, the diagnosis is only just beginning to be recognised, researched and treated. CPTSD involves some of the symptoms of the much more widely accepted PTSD, such as flashbacks, avoidance and numbing behaviours, with additional difficulties with emotional regulation and self-view.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy

IFS is a model of psychotherapy which posits that we are made up of multiple ‘parts’, who work to protect our inner wounded parts or ‘exiles’. Parts, particularly exiles, are usually child-like, who have positive intention for us but may have become stuck in unhelpful beliefs and behaviours or in ‘extreme roles’ which are now causing difficulties or ‘symptoms’ of physical or mental illness.

Each of us also has a core Self which is always intact, it cannot be damaged, and it is able to hold and heal all of our parts. IFS, then, is about engaging the Self to learn about, understand, help and heal our wounded and protective parts, with compassion, curiosity and calm. This is called ‘self-leadership’ which means that we engage with our internal and/or external experience from self rather than from one or more of our child parts.

IFS was developed by Richard Schwartz and you can find out more about it here.

Parts

'Parts’ is a term used in IFS therapy to refer to the ‘subpersonalities’ we all have. Parts may be ‘protector parts’ who act or think in certain ways to protect our wounded inner child parts or ‘exiles’. Each of our parts has a set of beliefs and experiences which shape how they interpret the world.

Protector parts include ‘managers’ and ‘firefighters’.

Managers work proactively ‘manage’ our life or even who we are. For example, the inner critic may create a set of standards for us to live up to or pusher parts might tell us we ‘should’ do xyz or do more.

Firefighters step in when an exile has been triggered, to dampen the emotional pain. For example, a distractor part might make us scroll on our phone rather than feel the feeling.

Exiles are parts that have been exiled in the system because what they felt or experienced (usually something traumatic in childhood) was too much for the (child) brain/system to process at the time. These parts are stuck in those childhood feelings and can be triggered by current events. When triggered, it is the past, unprocessed pain you are experiencing, not a feeling prompted or appropriate to the current situation. This is called an emotional flashback.

Useful link: What Is “Parts Work” or Internal Family Systems Therapy?

Inner Critic

(In IFS terms) A protector part(s) that is universal but for some people gets stuck in an extreme role and can impact our life and health. My inner critic works really hard to protect me by criticising me first before anybody else can, to protect my shame exiles being triggered and my system being emotionally overwhelmed. This shows up as low self-esteem and constant self-criticism that generates emotional turmoil and holds me back in many ways.

Useful links: Types of "Inner Critic" in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy