Embrace your Complexity

In 2015, Pixar produced an amazing film to which people are still talking about to this day. The film “Inside Out” had children and adults laughing and crying all within the same frame. It was one of the first major films that addressed different aspects of one’s personality. It gave people the permission to embrace all of themselves, rather than simply embracing the aspects about themselves that they liked. 

This film has also been used countless times to help explain a therapeutic model called Internal Family Systems. Internal Family Systems is a modality of therapy founded by family therapist Richard Swartz. IFS encourages people to embrace their complexity. He believes that each person is made up of parts. These parts are subpersonalities within us. For example, Riley, from Inside Out, had many parts within her. One part was joyful. Another was sad. Another enjoyed family time, while the other valued friendship. Some of these parts had their own body, personality, and function. However, all of them were there to help Riley in some way, even if she didn’t fully understand how or why they were trying to help her. 

Therapists trained in IFS are using this “parts” idea to help people embrace their own complexity. They teach clients to learn about all their parts, even the parts they may not like.  IFS therapists remind clients that each part was created for a reason. Therefore, it is important to befriend and learn about those undesirable parts. 

Can you identify some different parts within yourself? Perhaps you have a perfectionist part or a rebellious part? Or maybe you have a wounded part or numb part? Perhaps you have all of these. Take some time to identify the different parts within yourself. Once you’ve identified these, how does it change your perception of yourself? Our hope here at Arcadian is that it not only helps you know yourself better, but it encourages you to accept and value your complexity. 

Written by Cali Bolinger, Candidate for Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy

Resources:

Docter, P. (Director). (2015). Inside out [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures. Pixar Animated Studios.
Schwartz, R. C. & Sweezy, M. (2020). Internal family systems therapy (2nd ed.). Guilford Publications.