Meet your parts.
No bad parts — just parts trying to help.
Different parts can show up in different areas of life. Explore patterns you may recognize and see how John approaches them through IFS.
Where might these parts show up?
Across different areas of life
A part can show up in more than one context. These groupings are ways to browse, not personality types.
Showing 8 of 8 parts
Inner Critic
What it sounds like“I’m much harder on myself than I would ever be on someone else.”
May be protectingThis part may criticize you because it believes being hard on you will prevent mistakes, rejection, failure, or falling short. The effort can become painful even when its aim is protection.
Explore this part RelationshipsPeople-Pleaser
What it sounds like“I keep adjusting myself to keep other people comfortable, even when I know what I need.”
May be protectingThis part may try to prevent rejection, conflict, disapproval, or losing connection by keeping other people comfortable. Its care for others can matter while making your own needs harder to hear.
Explore this part Work & achievementPerfectionist
What it sounds like“If I do everything perfectly, maybe I can finally feel safe or good enough.”
May be protectingThis part may insist on perfection to help prevent failure, rejection, shame, or criticism. The effort can feel useful and still become exhausting when “good enough” never feels safe.
Explore this part RelationshipsWorrier
What it sounds like“I spiral after a text, a change in tone, conflict, distance, or uncertainty in a relationship.”
May be protectingThis part may try to prepare for uncertainty, rejection, loss, or things going wrong. Checking, rereading, and seeking reassurance can feel like a way to find certainty, even when the relief does not last.
Explore this part Work & achievementOverworker / Achiever
What it sounds like“I’ll just work harder and get everything handled.”
May be protectingThis part may rely on constant effort to prevent failure, falling behind, loss of control, or feeling not good enough. Achievement can matter while overwork leaves less room for rest and other needs.
Explore this part RelationshipsCaretaker
What it sounds like“I’m always taking care of other people, and my own needs come last.”
May be protectingThis part may be trying to prevent conflict or rejection, respond to others’ suffering, or protect connection. Caring matters; the strain can grow when your own needs always come last.
Explore this part Body & stressAvoider
What it sounds like“I feel disconnected from myself, unsure of what I really want, or emotionally shut down.”
May be protectingThis response may be trying to create distance from overwhelm, pain, failure, or too much emotional intensity. What it is responding to can vary; the label alone cannot explain why someone pulls back.
Explore this part Body & stressThe Part That Shuts Down
What it sounds like“I feel disconnected from myself, unsure of what I really want, or emotionally shut down.”
May be protectingA shutdown response may be trying to reduce overwhelm, pain, conflict, or more emotional intensity than feels manageable. Similar outward responses can have different meanings; appearance alone does not tell the whole story.
Explore this part