Justine Giles

I wrote Parts of Me and was able to acknowledge my various parts way before I even heard of Internal Family Systems therapy also known as “parts work”. It just makes so much sense to me and really resonates. I’m currently taking a workshop series to learn more about IFS this fall, along with doing more reading and research. It interests me because nobody really teaches you how to cope with a hurt or traumatized inner child in addition to protective parts, bullies, inner critics.. it gets loud in there sometimes 😆. I’m learning how to listen to various parts of me who have been abandoned for a long time; this is learned behaviour, sometimes we learn to stay quiet or prioritize others all while we feel abandoned by others too. This doesn’t just happen in one context or family unit either; when we consider how systems in society are designed, it makes a lot of sense that we’d struggle to freely express our feelings or know how to cope with compiling traumas in our minds, bodies, and psyches. A lot of systems are broken. A lot of systems silence people and cause additional harm when they do that. It can be frustrating to see that, but we can at least try to do what we can individually, and that can look like extending extra care, compassion, and deep listening towards others and ourselves. There is a lot of healing that happens when we speak our truth and share our stories and lived experiences. There’s also healing that happens when we listen and create a safe enough space to speak and hear hard truths. It’s a journey, it’s messy. But I’m committed to it. 🖤🎶