Most of us know what it is like to feel divided about something. One part of you wants to make a change while another seems to resist it. You may want closeness and still pull away, want to stop a habit and still feel drawn towards it, or know what you want to do while repeatedly avoiding it.
“Parts” work is a way of exploring that inner conflict without treating it as irrational or assuming that there are literally separate personalities inside you. The language of parts is a therapeutic model — a useful way of describing different needs, learned responses, roles and motivations that can compete with one another.
Why would one part resist a change you consciously want?
Behaviour that looks unhelpful in the present may once have served a purpose. Avoidance might reduce anxiety in the short term. Agreeing with everybody may help prevent conflict. Comfort eating might regulate distress. Perfectionism may have developed as a way of avoiding criticism.
The aim is therefore not to “defeat” the resistant part. It is to understand what the response is trying to achieve, whether that purpose is still useful, and whether there is a better way to meet the underlying need.
What the work can involve
- Identifying competing needs, fears or motivations
- Understanding what a particular response is trying to protect or achieve
- Exploring where a learned role or expectation came from
- Reducing internal criticism and conflict
- Finding a response that better fits your life now
- Rehearsing new choices so they become easier to access outside therapy
Do I still use Warriors, Settlers & Nomads?
I no longer present the Warrior, Settler and Nomad personality categories as inherited evolutionary personality types. They can be memorable metaphors, but I prefer to work directly with the person in front of me rather than fit people into a fixed typology.
If you have previously encountered that model, useful themes such as authenticity, adaptation, control, belonging, novelty and inner conflict can still be explored without treating the categories as established psychological traits.
With or without hypnosis
Parts-based work can be conversational or can sometimes be used alongside hypnosis and imagery. The exact format depends on the issue, your preferences and what seems clinically useful. You remain involved in the process throughout.