An IFS-Informed Exploration of the Wild Mind (May/June 2023):

I would love to invite you to an IFS-informed exploration of the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche by Bill Plotkin in a series of 6 online workshops to access more of the archetypes of Self/Soul Energy/Wholeness and to understand the wounded /protector parts that get in the way.

It is time to take another look at ourselves – to re-enliven our sense of what it is to be human, to breathe new life into ancient intuitions of who we are, and to learn again to celebrate, as we once did, our instinctive affinity with the Earth community in which we are rooted.”

Bill Plotkin in Wild Mind

What if we could allow in more compassion, connection, courage, curiousity, clarity and creativity?

I am on a journey to live more and more from within my Self (I often refer to my Core Self as: Soul/Spirit or Divine Essence). In Internal Family Systems (IFS), Richard Schwartz, the founder of IFS, refers to Soul/Spirit as Self or Self Energy with a capital S. We know we are in Self or Self-Energy when we feel compassion, connection, curiousity, clarity, calm, courage, confidence, creativity as well as presence, perspective, patience, persistence, and playfulness. (read more about IFS here).

Self Energy is always here, always present it’s just that we have so many other protective or vulnerable wounded parts of us that adopted many different coping and protective strategies when we were younger to try to keep us safe and run our lives from a place of protection and not from Self or Wholeness.

Questions we will explore…

• When do our parts get triggered and try to run our lives as if they were the CEO’s of our internal systems, rather than letting our Core Self be in charge?
• What if we could release our parts from their negative beliefs and extreme roles of perfectionism, people pleasing, fear of judgement, self doubt, need for certainty, fear of scarcity and desire to numb?
• What if we could find a way to live more in Wholeness, more Self-Energy Aligned?

…the four facets of Self, or the four dimensions of our human wholeness-wait within us, but we might not even know they exist until we discover how to access them, cultivate their powers, and integrate them into our everyday lives”

Bill Plotkin in Wild Mind

Are your parts willing to join me on a journey to explore our parts and the qualities of Self-Energy / Wholeness?

Take a moment and tune in to what your parts say to this invitation? If you are like me, you may have excited parts, scared parts, parts that say we have no time and parts sitting on the fence! What does your Core Self say when you get really quiet and listen in? My Self is excited and my parts are keen to be seen and heard.

Deep Parts Wisdom Workshop Series

Workshop Format:

Each 1 hour workshop will have a meditation/visualisation, free movement and intuitive journaling (drawing and /or writing). We will explore the parts that get in the way of Wholeness as well as the archetypes of wholeness for each aspect of the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche. We will use IFS informed practices as well as some of the practices suggested by Bill Plotkin in his Wild Mind book.

The magic of doing this healing work in a group setting is to witness other people’s parts (deeply comforting to know we are not alone in this journey!) and to have our own imperfect, vulnerable and/or protective parts and our Core Self heard, seen, valued and understood.

Workshop Content:

• Introduction / Week 1: Explore an IFS-informed explanation of the IFS model of Self and Protective and Vulnerable Parts and how this relates to the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche, focusing on when we are in Wholeness/Self-Energy. (This is also a stand alone workshop if you are interested in exploring the introduction only).
• Week 2: Explore the healthy archetypes of the North, the Wild One, and the wounded child (exiled) parts that get in the way
• Week 3: Explore the healthy archetypes of the South, the Nurturing and Generative Adult and the Loyal Soldier (manager) parts that get in the way
• Week 4: Explore the healthy archetypes of the East, the Innocent Sage, the Trickster/Fool, and the escapist, numbing, addictive (firefighter) parts that get in the way
• Week 5: Explore the healthy archetypes of the West, the Wanderer, Dreamer, Magician and the unknown shadow parts that can get in the way
• Week 6: Explore how you might use the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche and the IFS-informed lens/practices to engage the healthy archetypes in leading with Self-Energy/Soul to guide your wounded/protective parts in knowing the next right step forward in an issue occurring in your life.

Workshop Details:

Introduction to Deep Parts Wisdom: 1 hour introduction (week 1 of the 6 week course), $20, Thursday 18th May 8:30-9:30am AEST, numbers limited, (potentially an option to join the other 5 weeks if a spot is available for $100).

Deep Parts Wisdom Workshop Series: (an IFS-informed 6 weeks workshop series, 1 hour per week, includes the introduction workshop above)

When: Thursdays 8:30am-9:30am AEST, 6 weeks, starting 18th May and finishing 22nd June.

Where: In the comfort of your own home, on Zoom. (If there is enough interest after this trial group I hope to run more face to face groups – let me know if you are interested!)

Cost: 50% Discount as this first group is a trial: $15 per week, $90 in total, ($60 concession) donation paid to Treesisters or Australian Bush Heritage before group begins.

Numbers Limited: Small group of 6-8 participants, book early

Please register and ask for more information here: saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com

What is needed: A journal with pen and crayons/pastels for writing and drawing, a private, comfortable space for the workshop where you can move freely and comfortably as well as meditate/visualise without interruption.

Recommended Reading: The first chapter of Bill Plotkin’s book which can be found here: http://www.wildmindbook.com/ I recommend reading all of the Wild Mind Book by Bill Plotkin throughout the course as there are great practices for each healthy archetype and each set of wounded/protective parts, more than what we will cover in this course. I also recommend the book No Bad Parts by Dick Schwartz for an overview of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and/or find more information and resources on IFS here. A copy of Brene Brown’s book, Gifts of Imperfection, also gives a great summary of some of the qualities we are hoping to access more of (e.g. compassion, connection, creativity, courage).

Prerequisites: Experience with mindfulness, self-compassion, meditation/visualisation and/or journaling will be useful in this group setting. Please discuss with Sara if you have any questions or you are not sure if this workshop series is right for you. This workshop can be great to complete if you are supported by an IFS-informed therapist/coach, again check with Sara if you are wondering if this workshop is suitable for you.

Please register and ask for more information here: saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com

The next series of Deep Parts Wisdom Workshops will be August – Sept 2023, hopefully face to face and online. Let me know your preferred days/times.

I hope you and your Parts and your Self Energy can join me 🙂

More Information on Wild Mind, and IFS here.

What parts are getting in the way of you feeling harmony within yourself and in your life?

What parts are stopping you from having an enlivened response to the world ?

Is it fear, grief, anger, confusion, or numbness /powerlessness/hopelessness that is keeping you stuck?

If you are like me, on any given day, in any given moment, it might be a particular part that is trying to ‘drive’ your life or you might feel an internal tug-o-war as several parts are pushing and pulling you in different directions keeping you stuck and causing distress in your nervous system (draining your energy).

Would you like to grow in your ability to welcome all of your parts (NOTICE them, get to KNOW them and find out what they NEED) to access more Wise Self Energy and then naturally feel more hopeful, more energised, more compassionate, curious, connected, creative and courageous as you respond to life with calm, confidence and clarity?

I have found personally and with people I guide that Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a great way to cultivate and expand in mindfulness, self-compassion, compassion for others, courage, curiousity and creativity.

_{When we work from the core of the self, our whole being is empowered.”}

_{Richard Schwartz, Founder of IFS}

Wise Self Energy is always here, always present, (like the blue sky is always present behind the clouds). Yet we all have so many protective, vulnerable, wounded parts that adopted different coping strategies when we were younger to keep us safe and now these parts run our lives from a place of protection and not from Self or Wholeness.

When we work with and heal our inner eco-system, getting to know our own parts, cultivating more Self-energy, we are more able to engage with the world and the outer ecosystem in which we live. Internal Family Systems can lead to personal and collective healing/harmony, healing of the inner and outer ecosystem…(be that family, community or earth). Read more about Deep Ecology

_{when you experience Self, you naturally feel more connected to humanity in general and also to something larger and more encompassing, the earth, the universe, the big Self. And you will also discover other qualities rising up in you like joy, equanimity, forgiveness, perspective, and playfulness”.}

_{Richard Schwartz in No Bad Parts}

Workshop Format/Content:

These Deep Part Wisdom workshops are IFS-informed and are created to support you to NOTICE your parts, get to KNOW them, and find out what they NEED in order for you to access more Self energy, more integration, more Wholeness. We will do this using mindfulness, embodied movement, nature archetypes from Wild Mind by Bill Plotkin), visualisation and creative expression as well as the healing power of sharing in a group of like-minded souls.

Aims of Deep Part Wisdom Workshops:

In these IFS-Informed Workshops we will be supported to discover more about, befriend and heal our:

• Manager Parts (that are often trying to please, perform, perfect, to be socially acceptable)
• Firefighter Parts (that are often more extreme in nature and try to escape, numb, react, or distract in other ways from painful emotions
• Exiled Emotions (those emotions we were not allowed to express as young children, whatever we are keeping in the shadows, including sometimes Joy or Play)

In order to access more of our

• Centred Wise Self Energy: (courageous, curious, compassionate, calm, connected, centred, grounded, present, playful)

Questions we will explore in these workshops:

• When do our parts get triggered and try to run our lives as if they were the CEO’s of our internal systems, rather than letting our Wise Self be in charge?
• What if we could gently encourage our parts to hold lightly their negative beliefs and extreme roles of perfectionism, people pleasing, fear of judgement, self doubt, need for certainty, fear of scarcity and desire to numb?
• What if we could reparent our parts who feel grief, fear, anger, confusion so they feel heard, seen and understood and can re-channel their energy to acting in harmony with our Self and our values
• What if we could find a way to live more in Wholeness, more Self-Energy Aligned, more integrated?

In these workshops we will experience:

In a safe space we will be invited to experience some of the following practices to befriend our parts and bring some relief and healing to our parts as they feel seen. heard and understood and can feel supported by Self Energy:

• Mindfulness & Visualisation
• Embodied Movement, Somatic Awareness
• Creative Expression, Intuitive Drawing and Journalling
• Community & Connection
• Deep Heartfelt Sharing in Circle/Council
• Laughter and Joy

_{Sara creates a space…to remember that you belong as your unique self perfectly imperfect. … living a life in connection with soul and heart.”}

_{Louise K.}

Workshop Details:

Introduction to Deep Parts Wisdom: 2 hour introduction (week 1 of the 6 week course)

Where & When:

In Person: Tuesday 10th October 6:30-8:30pm OR Thursday 26th October 6:30-8:30pm-Deep Heart Wisdom Studio, Level 1/21 Short St, Port Macquarie

Online: Tuesday 24th October 6:00pm-8:00pm In the comfort of your own home, on Zoom.

Cost: $40 (with $5 donation paid to Australian Bush Heritage

Numbers Limited: Small group of 8 participants, book early

Please register and ask for more information here: saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com

What is needed: A journal with pen and crayons/pastels for writing and drawing, if in person comfy clothes and a drink bottle, if online a private, comfortable space for the workshop where you can move freely and comfortably as well as meditate/visualise without interruption.

Deep Parts Wisdom Workshop Series: (an IFS-informed 6 weeks workshop series, 2 hours per week, includes the 2 hour introduction workshop in week 1 above)

Where & When:

In Person: Thursdays start 26th October 6:00pm to 8:00pm, (6 weeks) Deep Heart Wisdom Studio, Level 1/21 Short St, Port Macquarie

Online: Tuesdays start 24th October 6:00pm-8:00pm In the comfort of your own home, on Zoom.

Cost: $240 ($30 donation paid to Australian Bush Heritage

Numbers Limited: Small group of 8 participants, book early

Please register and ask for more information here: saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com

What is needed: A journal with pen and crayons/pastels for writing and drawing, if in person comfy clothes and a drink bottle, if online a private, comfortable space for the workshop where you can move freely and comfortably as well as meditate/visualise without interruption.

Recommended Reading: No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz and Wild Mind by Bill Plotkin. If you are unsure if this group is for you please email Sara to ask/discuss.

Prerequisites: This group is really for everyone – it will be useful if you know a little about IFS, or have experienced mindfulness but not essential. Doing an IFS group such as this one, might bring up some strong emotions and it is recommended that you have support from an individual therapist if you need.

Hope you can join me in these workshops, I’d love to see you there! Email saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com

More Testimonials here

More on IFS here:

I personally have experienced how powerful IFS is in individual counselling and in a group setting through visualisation, embodied movement, creative expression and in sharing with others. I see it everyday in my counselling practice, huge shifts in healing of client’s awareness and ability to grow mindfulness, self-compassion, awareness of self and others, and then being able to access more Self Energy and move forward with their lives, in line with their values.

A recent personal example of healing in IFS for me was that I was feeling a lot of fear facing all the NEW challenges in my life this year, new empty nest, new renovations, new office, new offerings for work…in an IFS session with my therapist I could see my fearful part was reluctant to cross the creek to the NEW side, and it was incredibly powerful to visualise, draw and embody my Self and other parts supporting this fearful part to cross the creek in her own time, in her own way. Suddenly it was possible to start taking steps towards the NEW because all my parts and Self were in harmony.

_{It is time to take another look at ourselves – to re-enliven our sense of what it is to be human, to breathe new life into ancient intuitions of who we are, and to learn again to celebrate, as we once did, our instinctive affinity with the Earth community in which we are rooted.”}

_{Bill Plotkin Wild Mind}

I have found Internal Family Systems (IFS) to be the healing modality/philosophy that incorporates all I believe and know to be useful in our growing and healing journey as humans living on Earth today. IFS supports us to understand how to create more Self-energy (e.g. more centredness, more harmony, more integration through the Self qualities of 8 Cs: compassion, connection, curiousity, calm, clarity, creativity, courage and confidence and 5Ps: presence, playfulness, perspective, patience and persistence, ). IFS also explains how to understand how we might feel calm and centred and then something happens and suddenly we are caught up in a wave of thoughts, feelings, beliefs, sensations and behaviours that indicate a part or parts of us has taken over our system and we are no longer centred (read more about IFS here).

Hope you can join me in these workshops, I’d love to see you there! Email saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com