Week 1: Welcome to Root Work

Root Work involves delving deep within to create space for personal growth. We do this by using the Internal Family Systems (IFS) framework to engage with the patterns, blockages, and burdens accumulated throughout our lives.

Week 2: Preparing Our Inner System

We learn how IFS helps us understand that each part within us wants the best for us and intends to keep us safe and well. Big, therapeutic experiences can challenge our protector parts, but by tapping into our True Self, we can get permission from these parts who ultimately want to foster healing and growth.

Week 3: Securing Permission & Setting Intentions

As we prepare for a big therapeutic experience, we acknowledge our internal protector parts, understanding that these parts have been crucial for our survival and are engaged in a long-standing, although outdated, protective strategy. We open space for True Self, which provides for compassionate, curious witnessing.

Week 4: Integrating Protectors & True Self

We focus on the True-Self quality of groundedness, which consists of embodiment, embeddedness, and integration. We learn how to let True Self lead in integrating big experiences, and ways we can extend True-Self curiosity and compassion to relationships with others as we step deeper into our Root Work.

Week 5: Managers & Firefighters

We explore the role of manager parts as proactive protectors that aim to avoid emotional overwhelm by being vigilant, analytical, and critical. Firefighters are reactive, and come in after our exile feelings flood in. These protectors play an important role in our internal system as gatekeepers to deeper exiled parts.

Week 6: Exiles

Exiled parts carry the raw emotions and vulnerabilities that were not acceptable in our families when we were young. These parts yearn for acceptance and healing. When we engage with them from the love and strength of our True Self, they release their burdens, heal, and become integrated into our larger internal system.

Week 7: True Self

We explore the concept of the True Self, our inherent essence that's compassionate, connected, and wise. The True Self remains undamaged despite life's challenges. Accessing it provides parts with necessary resources and positively impacts others through its energy.

Week 8: The Well-Rooted System

We focus on nurturing the newly-formed internal relationships between True Self and our parts because the development of this relationship is the cornerstone of healing and growth. The conclusion of this 8-week healing circle marks a new phase in your healing journey.