In describing the process, I’m going to use an example of John, an artist with writer’s block. This is a much condensed version of what would actually happen.

1. Identify parts that are in conflict, label them, and get them talking to each other.

We start by identify the part that is loudest or most obvious. John says “I don’t know what to do. I can’t think of anything worth painting.” We tentatively label this part “I don’t know” and find a spot in the room for that part. John listens for other messages from this spot and gets, “It’s not going to be good enough.” He says it in a low voice and seems to want to hide.

John considers where this last message might be coming from. He identifies a second part that also says “It’s not going to be good enough,” but with more force and bitterness. He finds where that is in the room, stands in that spot, and listens for more messages. The new part also says, “Don’t bother. No one wants what you’ve got.” He labels this part the Critic.

2. Get into the role of an independent observer and notice what’s going on.

John steps back into an observer role, making a conscious decision to leave the two parts out in front of him. He looks for patterns, considers what this reminds him of from the past, and makes other judgments. John says that the Critic reminds him of his father’s reaction to his art. He notices that the Critic has a lot more power. It seems angry. The “I don’t know” part seems sad and depressed and very small. The facilitator asks, “What has to happen in this situation?” John responds that the Critic needs to back off and that the “I don’t know” part needs protection and encouragement.

Sometimes the person doing work will move right from the Observer into a new role that provides protection and encouragement. It can be tempting to want to beat the Critic into submission. If you read on, you’ll see why this isn’t a good idea.

3. Introduce an additional role of a spiritual/loving part and have it bestow blessings on the conflicting parts.

The facilitator invites John to identify a part that is wise and that loves from a secure place. This part might be a good parent, an elder, a good king or queen, or a spiritual figure. John identifies this part as the Dalai Lama, and identifies a place for them in the room. Still in the place of the Observer, he notices other qualities of this Dalai Lama part: peace, centeredness, compassion, and humor.

John steps into the role of the Dalai Lama and looks at the conflicting parts again. From here, he notices that the Critic is just as scared as the “I don’t know” part. He sees the Critic as wounded and also sees the love the Critic has for “I don’t know.” The Critic wants to protect “I don’t know” from the rejections of the public. John also realizes that “I don’t know” is actually the Muse.

John as the Dalai Lama then moves to talk with the two conflicting parts. He tells the Critic that he needs to back off, and also lets him know that he sees his fear. He expresses his appreciation for the protection he offers and asks the Critic to move into a role of protecting the Muse from the public so that the Muse can explore freely. John then turns to the Muse and lets him know that he won’t have to worry about getting hurt, and that it’s safe for him to explore and play. John expresses his appreciation for the creativity of the Muse.

4. Get the conflicting parts to agree to a compromise and a shifting of roles, so that all the parts are moving in the same direction as a team.

John moves back to the other roles to see what their responses are, to make sure that they have buy-in to the process. We find that the parts have some resistance, and need more assurances. John goes back and forth between the roles until he feels complete.

He ends by closing his eyes and imagining all three parts coming back together in one spot. The facilitator reminds him that he can call on these roles when he needs them.


As I said before, this process can go in a lot of directions. This example describes the most common variation. The process can be done alone, with a facilitator, or in a group setting. The effectiveness of the process increases as you go down this list:

1. Alone and on paper, as if writing a play.
2. Alone and stepping into different roles around the room.
3. With a facilitator.
4. In a group with a facilitator and with others playing roles.
   

I’ve been trained in this work and have been practicing it for several years. You should not attempt to facilitate another person in this work unless you’ve had training. This work is not recommended for the mentally ill or people with a history of abuse. If you would like to explore this work with me, please let me know. If you want to try it on your own, let me know if you have questions, and I’d love to hear about your experience.