Working with Inner Parts
A Depth-Oriented Approach
Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, self-critical, anxious, depressed, or stuck in patterns they don’t fully understand. You may feel pulled in different directions internally — wanting one thing, but doing another; knowing something doesn’t feel right, yet struggling to act on it. These experiences are common, and they don’t mean there is something wrong with you.
My work begins with these very real struggles — and also makes room for the deeper inner dynamics that shape them.
Understanding Inner Conflict
Most of us do not experience ourselves as having just one inner voice. Instead, we may notice a critical part, a part that wants to keep the peace, a sad part, a part who tells us to “just get over it”, a part that feels overwhelmed or tired, and another that senses when something important is being ignored. These inner experiences are often shaped by early relationships, life transitions, loss, or long-standing survival strategies. In depth psychology, they can also be related to archetypal patterns and “calling”.
How Depth Psychology Approaches Parts Work
Depth-oriented parts work does not aim to silence, eliminate, or control inner voices. Instead, therapy becomes a place to:
Gently notice and differentiate inner patterns without judgment
Understand the role and history of protective or critical parts
Explore emotional and bodily responses as meaningful signals
Work with images, metaphors, or dreams when they arise naturally
Develop a more compassionate and flexible relationship with your inner world
Rather than forcing change, this approach allows change to emerge through understanding and relationship.
A Relational and Attuned Process
This work is collaborative and paced with care. We pay attention to what feels safe enough to explore and what may need more time. Inner parts are approached with respect, recognizing that even difficult patterns often formed in response to real experiences and unmet needs.
Over time, many people notice:
Less internal conflict and self-criticism
Greater clarity around boundaries and choices
Increased understanding of internal emotional tides
A renewed sense of vitality or direction
When Meaning, Symbol, or Spiritual Questions Are Present
Some clients experience their inner life symbolically — through dreams, imagination, intuition, or questions about meaning and purpose. A depth-oriented approach can hold this material thoughtfully, without imposing belief systems or moving beyond psychological grounding.
Spiritual or symbolic experiences are explored as part of a person’s inner life, always with attention to emotional reality, personal history, and present-day functioning.
Who This Approach Often Supports
This way of working may be especially helpful if you:
Feel divided or conflicted inside
Live with a strong inner critic or people-pleasing patterns
Struggle with anxiety, depression, or relational stress
Identify as highly sensitive or deeply affected by your environment
Sense that your symptoms carry meaning beyond a diagnosis
Are curious about inner parts, patterns, or recurring themes in your life
If this approach resonates, therapy can become a space to explore your inner world with curiosity, care, and respect for your complexity.