Increasingly, therapists, practitioners and researchers are recognising that working with the different parts of ourselves is as an effective way to improve how we relate to our Self. Approaches such as internal family systems (IFS) have emphasised the importance of 'parts work'. When parts are more clearly differentiated, we can learn to integrate the sometimes conflicting and sometimes harmonious interests, desires and yearnings they reflect to become more psychologically flexible.
‘Flexible selfing’ is a non-pathologising approach to helping clients increase well-being and performance that takes a “no bad parts” stance. By exploring the functional nature of parts in context, clients learn to integrate aspects of themselves with awareness and compassion. This differentiation and integration lead to increased ‘choicefulness’, paving the way for clients to relate to themselves in more contextually-sensitive ways. Flexible selfing allows people to develop both the integration and transcendence of experience, which is the goal of any psychological flexibility process work.
If you’re interested in learning powerful therapeutic interventions based on the IFS model within an ACT framework, this online workshop is for you.
About this workshop
Integrating a contextual behavioural view of the self (ACT) with parts work (IFS), this 2-session workshop with psychologist, coach, and trainer Dr. Aprilia West will teach you to how to help clients increase their psychological flexibility. By exploring different aspects and levels of Self in a non-reactive, compassionate way, clients learn to accept and decode emotions, thoughts and sensations, hold multiple and complex perspectives, and commit to values-based action. Clients can learn to:
- See their self as multi-levelled, multi-perspective and integrated
- Understand the values-based function of parts in context
- Identify how parts sometimes lead them away from what matters
- Normalise and override common urges to avoid, protect or prevent discomfort and distress
- Increase willingness to move towards what matters in a moment of choice
This workshop will include didactic, experiential practice, live demos and Q&A.
What you will get out of this workshop
In this 6-hour workshop you’ll learn to:
- Define psychological flexibility
- Define 3 levels of selfing
- Describe the relationship between selfing and psychological flexibility
- List consequences of inflexible selfing
- Describe the function of parts and behaviour in context
- Identify and name parts and their function in context using method acting techniques
- Utilise experiential exercises to integrate experience and mobilise values-based action
This course is experiential and you’ll have an opportunity to practice identifying and fleshing out parts of yourself and to practice exploring parts with another participant.
You’ll also leave with ‘flexible selfing ‘materials to use with your clients.
Who will benefit from this workshop?
This course is designed for professional coaches, mental health professionals (or students under supervision) and behaviour analysts with a beginners level understanding of psychological flexibility and parts work.