Parts work therapy

What Parts Work is and how to use it in therapy

Parts work is a method that includes a range of different therapies that attempt to resolve inner conflicts that prevent you from becoming whole. It is built on the idea that the self is made up of different parts that can conflict or support one another. Parts work often involves experiential techniques and role plays to get different parts talking to one another.

The concept Parts Work

Parts work is based on the concept that within each person, there are multiple personalities or subpersonalities (i.e., ‘parts’) that interact with one another. When the tendencies, needs, and drives of these different parts clash, these inner conflicts can create psychological problems. The method aims to help people resolve these inner conflicts and help people develop a healthier relationship with themself.

Parts work is often associated with the Voice Dialogue model. According to Voice Dialogue, we all have an Aware Ego that is best able to lead and direct the course of our lives, but we also have different ‘subpersonalities’ that develop. These subpersonalities are called ‘parts’ because you have your own feelings and needs, and you also develop certain habits and roles over time. It is a therapy method that attempts to create more positive and supportive interaction with the parts from an Aware Ego.

History of Parts Work

The concept of the “plural self,” which is so central to parts therapy, can be traced back to the work of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Freud believed that the parts of the self included the ego, superego, and id. His colleague Jung believed that the individual psyche was not self-contained and instead was connected to the “collective unconscious,” which was influenced by archetypal personalities seen in myths and legends. Both Freudian and Jungian psychology were, therefore, central in creating the basic framework which later parts of theories like Voice Dialogue were built upon.

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Therapeutic Modalities That Use Parts Work

Voice Dialogue is the most effective type of parts work therapy. In Voce Dialogue, the internal parts are spoken with directly (i.e., an inner child and inner critic that mimics a critical parent). The roles, goals, and tendencies of these internal parts create inner conflicts that lead to psychological problems and disorders.

Parts Therapy Helps With

Parts work has been used to help people heal from trauma, improve self-esteem, and build better relationships, but it can also help you with a wide range of other issues and problems as well.

The main objectives of parts therapy are to increase self-awareness, self-love, and self-care to build a healthier and more nurturing relationship with ourselves. When successful, this can help improve your mood, boost your self-esteem, reduce stress, motivate positive changes in behavior, and even improve your interpersonal relationships.

Some examples of issues that parts work can help with include:

  • Addictions to substances or behaviors
  • Mood disorders like depression or bipolar
  • Unresolved childhood trauma or complex PTSD
  • Anxiety disorders or specific phobias
  • Insecure attachment styles and relationship conflicts
  • Making healthy lifestyle choices and improving self-care
  • Addressing issues related to low self-esteem or self-worth
  • Combating toxic stress or professional burnout
  • Healing from a traumatic experience or loss
  • Dissociation or dissociative disorders

Signs of Inner Conflict

Inner conflicts can occur when we have conflicting feelings about something, when we act in ways that contradict our values, or when we’re not willing to face an uncomfortable truth. The most common sign of an inner conflict is discomfort, but this can look different, depending on the individual. For example, inner conflicts can show up as negative thoughts, distressing feelings, or even impulsive choices.

Inner conflict can manifest in the following ways: Anxiety, doubt, or dread about something that might occur:

  • Guilt, shame, and remorse for a past action or mistake
  • Increased negative self-talk
  • Strong urges, increased impulsivity, or self-sabotage
  • Increased reassurance seeking
  • Restlessness, insomnia, or feeling unrested after sleep
  • Nightmares, bad dreams, or fantasies and daydreams
  • Increased urges to drink, smoke, or abuse substances
  • Feeling more easily stressed, triggered, upset, or overwhelmed
  • Becoming more rigid, Type A, or perfectionistic
  • Having sudden or extreme shifts in mood or energy
  • Inability to focus, concentrate, or complete tasks

Benefits of Parts Work

The benefits of parts work will vary based on the individual and the problems they are seeking to resolve in therapy. Benefits include:

Is Parts Work Therapy Effective?

Because parts work describes a broad category of therapy approaches, there is no research proving that it works for any specific issue or disorder.2 Still, there are many anecdotal reports from therapists and clients who claim that parts work can be highly effective for some people.

What to Expect During Parts Work Therapy

Parts therapy involves a variety of different techniques and can look different depending on the specific approach being used. In many cases, Parts work is a component of therapy but is used in combination with other techniques. Because of this, there is no specific or universal method used in parts therapy.

A parts work therapy session may involve:

  • Accessing a part: Models like Voice Dialogue may ask you to ‘access’ different parts of yourself by locating the part in your body or describing the sensations and feelings associated with that part to become more aware of it.
  • Role plays: Role plays may be used in parts therapy to help you initiate a conversation with a part or between multiple parts of the self. For example, you may be asked to role play a conversation between your inner child and inner critic. Roles plays can help identify and resolve inner conflicts between parts.
  • Enactments: An enactment is an experiential technique that involves acting out a relationship or interaction between you and someone else or between parts. For example, you may be asked to enact a pose that represents a specific part of themselves. This can be a powerful way to help you access and even heal certain wounded parts.
  • Visualization: Visualization may be used in parts work to help you imagine and create a different kind of internal dynamic. For example, you might be asked to visualize your inner child, describe it, and then visualize specific actions or activities that could help it heal and grow.
  • Externalization: Some parts therapists have clients externalize specific parts by using an object (like a puppet or pillow) to represent it. This might be used in a role play or enactment with the part, like placing it in an empty chair and role playing a conversation with this part.

Is Parts Work Therapy Right for You?

While there’s no way to guarantee whether it would work for you, it’s more likely to benefit if you agree with some of the basic principles of the Voice Dialogue parts work model. Parts work therapies can help you heal from childhood trauma, attachment issues, and problems with shame and self-criticism. Voice Dialogue parts work is also used to help people in couples counseling or premarital counseling.

How to experience Parts Work?

Find a therapist who exclusively uses parts work, by finding a Voice Dialogue coach that allows you to filter by specialty. During a consultation, you can also ask questions about the approach and style of counseling the therapist uses to determine if they specialize in the approach you’re looking for.

Some of the questions you can ask to find a therapist who specializes in parts work include:

  • What kind of therapeutic approach do you use?
  • Have you received training in Voice Dialogue?
  • How do you utilize parts work for someone with my issue? 


Another way to experience Parts Work is by studying the Voice Dialogue method yourself via e-learning programs