OK, so this is pretty wild. At least to me. At least at first. When Tim Kelley and Jeffrey Van Dyk first told us True Purpose™ coaches that people can realign their relationship with their psyche’s parts, I was like, “Say, what????” But now I’m a believer. Big time.
It makes a lot of sense actually. Have you ever told a friend, “One part of me wants to…., but another part of me….” Or perhaps you’ve said, “A voice inside my head is urging me to…” Or what about this—“My Inner Skeptic thinks that’s crazy!” Hmmm. It seems we do have all kinds of “parts” that want to be acknowledged and heard–perhaps our Wounded Child or our Inner Critic or our Image Consultant or maybe “the part of me who doesn’t stand up for myself.” It’s fascinating to engage in conversation with these “voices.” We can learn why they came into existence and how they aim to serve/protect us.
Through a gentle, loving, respectful process often referred to as “parts work,” we can develop a new healthy, mutually beneficial relationship with the parts of our psyche that aren’t serving us anymore. (I’m not suggesting that people with mental health issues try this process. It may work great for them, but that’s beyond the realm of my professional expertise.) It is possible through this respective realignment process to give our parts an upgraded job description accompanied by a new name. For example, my “Critical Image Consultant” has become my “Compassionate Image Coach.” My “Wounded Child” has transformed into my “Joyful Child.” My “Crushed Spirit” has become my “Prayer Warrior.” Such realignments allow me to live life more purposefully and joyfully–for we’re all working together toward the same goal. Sweet.
I’m here to tell you that “parts work” works. Perhaps your Inner Skeptic disagrees?
Warmly,
I’ve had the gift of being taken through the “Parts Work” process with Jory. Before that, I thought that I was destined to live with these fragmented pieces of me being mis-aligned. And as a Gemini (the Twins!), I REALLY felt held hostage by the various parts of me! However, I am happy to say that I was able to speak directly to one of my parts (yes, you can do this!), and figure out a way to align *her* from one way of being to another more congruent way of being. As a result, a core relationship in my life has experienced great healing.
Now, when I hear someone say, “a part of me wants to…,” I always think that “Parts Work” would be valuable.
~ Maripat
As a fellow parts explorer and raving fan of doing this type of invaluable inner work, I’m happy to see you talking about this in your blog, Jory, and sharing your expertise with your readers. It’s great stuff….and you are well-trained to help others explore the territory!
– Beth