Mindful Therapy North London Psychotherapy for Islington and the City

27/7/20

Protectors and Exiles

In the Internal Family Systems model our psyche is made up parts or sub-personalities that have particular roles or patterns of behaviour. These parts are either protectors or exiles. The exiles are typically child parts that experienced emotional pain or trauma in the past; feelings which the child was unable to process at the time. These experiences are locked away within us; hence the term, exiles. The protectors may also be young or younger parts and incorporate patterns of behaviour that aim at preventing us from re-experiencing these suppressed feelings.

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