How Crystal Works
Parts Work and Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Have you ever said "part of me wants this, and part of me does not"? Parts work, including internal family systems (IFS), takes that idea seriously.
How Crystal Works
Parts Work in Plain Language
IFS sees the mind as made up of different parts, each with its own feelings and job. One part may push you to work nonstop. Another may shut down when things get hard. Another may still carry pain from long ago. None of them are bad. Most are trying to protect you, even when their methods cause trouble.
Instead of fighting these parts, the work is to get to know them with curiosity and compassion, from a calmer, steadier place IFS calls the Self.
What It Can Help With
- Inner conflict and feeling pulled in two directions
- Harsh self-criticism
- Intense emotions that seem to take over
- Old hurt that still shapes present reactions
- Trauma, when paced carefully
Why People Like It
Many people find parts language gentle. It lets you talk about the part of you that panics or lashes out without feeling that it is all of who you are. That can be especially helpful for intense emotions and relationship patterns.
How Crystal Uses IFS
IFS is among the approaches in Crystal's training. Her work with intense emotions and borderline personality may draw from IFS alongside DBT skills. Crystal does not apply one method to everyone. Sessions may draw from this approach when it fits your goals, alongside others in her training.
What a Parts Conversation Can Sound Like
Suppose part of you shuts down every time a partner raises their voice. In parts work, you might turn toward that shut-down feeling with curiosity: when did it first show up, what is it afraid would happen if it did not step in, and what does it need? The answers often make sense, and a part can soften once it feels understood.
The pace stays gentle. You decide how far to go in any session.
Parts Work and Self-Compassion
Many people come to therapy with a harsh inner critic. Parts work treats that critic as a part that is trying, clumsily, to keep you safe. That shift can make it easier to be kind to yourself without giving up the standards you care about.
Getting Started
Parts work can be done by secure telehealth from a private space where you feel comfortable. It begins with a free consultation of about 15 minutes and an intake where the goals for treatment are set. Individual sessions are $200.
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