Resolved to Rest by Adrienne Burton Insight Eight: I Take Care of My System - May I be present as a source of strength for my parts As the calendar turns over into a new year, I am choosing a different path than usual. Rather than following the trend to set resolutions and get myself geared up for a list of new things, I am following nature’s example in this winter season and enjoying some rest. Winter, especially in colder climates, is a time when many plants, animals, and ecosystems slow...
3 months ago • 4 min read
Good Grief, Part 2 by Adrienne Burton Insight Seven: May I heal my burdens - Which allows my parts to express their inherent gifts Grieving often seems easier to understand when a loved one has passed away, but what about when we have lost someone that is still living? Perhaps it was the end of a romantic relationship or a rupture with a close friend. And what about a loss that we may have chosen like retiring from a job or leaving home to move to a new city for opportunity. Some scenarios...
4 months ago • 3 min read
Good Grief by Adrienne Burton Insight Seven: May I heal my burdens - Which allows my parts to express their inherent gifts The one constant thing in life is change and all change involves loss of some kind—letting go of what was in favor of what is becoming. Even though what we give up in the process of change may be something we are happy to let go of, it is loss nonetheless—and every loss involves grief. Grieving doesn’t always require an extensive process. In some cases, it can be as...
5 months ago • 3 min read
Exploring the Insights #3 Insight Three: We Live in a Body - May I respectfully seek awareness and connection The body is the house that our parts and Self live in, and it serves as a means of communication between the internal system and the outside world. It allows us to express outwardly what we think and feel inwardly. It also collects information through the five senses from the surrounding environment that the mind interprets for meaning and decision-making. The sensory information that...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Exploring the Insights #2 Insight 2: I Have Parts – May I be open to the idea that they have differing needs and perspectives The IFS model recognizes that our psyches or personalities are comprised of an “internal family” of different parts, sometimes called subpersonalities or ego states. Like a family member, each part has its own opinions, attitudes, thoughts, feelings, memories, points of view, beliefs, motives, assumptions, and perspectives about the world. For example, a part of you...
8 months ago • 2 min read
PATH Welcomes New Board Member There were several changes within the PATH leadership in 2023, which left the Board of Directors with three members, Achara Tarfa, David Kerwin and Laura Lively. This small but mighty team has worked to provide Self-leadership for PATH as it navigates changing seasons and also to determine the road ahead for the organization. After many months of service to the executive team and the organization as a whole, the Board of Directors has voted unanimously to add...
9 months ago • 1 min read
Father Figures by Adrienne Burton Insight 4: All Parts Are Welcome – May I accept that they hold a positive intent In the United States, during the month of June we have a holiday set aside to celebrate fatherhood – a role within the family that is traditionally associated with protecting and providing security and safety (both financial and physical). Keeping in mind that parenting roles aren’t necessarily confined to any gender identities, but rather represent the balance of needs for...
10 months ago • 2 min read
Are You My Mother? by Adrienne Burton Insight One: I Am Self – The leader of my internal system whose presence is compassionate wisdom. The month of May has a day set aside to celebrate mothers. While some people are experiencing joy and gratitude during this holiday, there are also people that may experience grief and sadness. I for one have a mix of emotions present and this holiday brings to mind a book that I remember from my childhood entitled, “Are You My Mother?” by P.D. Eastman. In...
11 months ago • 1 min read
Exploring our Insights Insight One: I Am Self – The leader of my internal system whose presence is compassionate wisdom. We are holistic beings of a body, mind, heart, and spirit that interact to create who we are. One basic assumption of the IFS model is that the mind's true nature is divided into several subpersonalities or ego states, called parts. These parts interact with an aspect of ourselves called Self. Self exists in everyone and is our true nature, our seat of consciousness, our...
12 months ago • 1 min read