As a coach and educator, I have developed a deep passion and interest in working with the concept of parts within the psyche. This framework has played a significant role in my own healing journey and has been equally transformative for the clients I support. The idea of multiple parts existing within the psyche has long been recognised in transpersonal psychology and has gained widespread popularity in recent decades through Internal Family Systems (IFS), founded by Richard Schwartz. While the IFS model has been largely embraced within mainstream therapeutic approaches, what remains less widely accepted is the notion that certain parts or energies that surface during the healing process may not actually belong to the individual’s psyche. Although this perspective is slowly gaining more recognition, it is still frequently dismissed by mainstream coaching or therapeutic modalities. In this article, I will explore why acknowledging these energies is essential for both individual and collective healing.

What are Parts?

Parts of the psyche are also commonly understood as subpersonalities and are distinct inner aspects of ourselves that carry their own beliefs, emotions, memories, values, and behaviours. William James was among the first to conceptualise the “various selves,” recognising that the human psyche is not a singular, unified entity but made up of multiple aspects that may at times be in harmony and at other times in conflict. Later theorists, such as Roberto Assagioli in Psychosynthesis, described subpersonalities as clusters of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that form in response to life experience. These parts often adopt protective roles in response to challenging or traumatic circumstances to help the individual cope and survive - this is what Donald Kalshed refers to as the self-care system. While their original intention is often to protect against harm, the strategies that parts develop can become rigid and outdated, resulting in emotions, beliefs or behaviour that keep people stuck in cycles of self-sabotage or perpetual suffering.

Within Internal Family Systems (IFS) developed by Richard Schwartz parts are differentiated in three distinct categories: exiles, which carry unresolved pain and vulnerability; managers, which attempt to control life and prevent that pain from surfacing (for example, through perfectionism or self-criticism) and firefighters, which react when pain breaks through, often in impulsive or numbing ways such as addiction or dissociation. IFS states that beneath all of these parts is the Self, a core, undamaged aspect of our being that is characterised by qualities such as compassion, calm, clarity, and courage, what Richard Schwartz refers to as the 8Cs of Self. This concept of Self aligns with what we speak about in the field of transpersonal coaching, as well as many other spiritual traditions and psychological modalities. In my recent article published in Volume 4 of the Transpersonal Coaching Psychology Journal, I share the following,

‘Psychosynthesis posits the existence of a higher or transpersonal Self, which is beyond the personal ego and represents a higher level of consciousness. It is seen as a source of wisdom, purpose, and spiritual connection (Assagioli, 1965). This is very similar to the concept of Self in Jungian Psychology, which represents the totality of an individual’s psyche, including both the conscious and unconscious aspects (Jung, 1953). In Jungian Psychology, the Self’s teleological nature is emphasised, where there is an inherent drive towards growth, development, and fulfilment of potential, leading individuals toward a more complete and authentic existence (Jung, 1953).’

It is clear that multiple approaches recognise the essence of Self - a quality or energy that exists within and beyond us - something connected to the larger whole which can never be destroyed or broken. It’s important to acknowledge that parts within the psyche also carry the energy of the Self and are not inherently ‘bad’, but they have developed protective adaptations that are trying to keep us safe. The goal is to meet the parts with curiosity and compassion, then allow them to integrate back into the cohesive system as a whole. Therefore, working with parts - whether in therapy, coaching, or other healing modalities involves acknowledging their role, uncovering their underlying needs and values, and creating conditions where they can shift into behaviours and roles which are more constructive and aligned with the authentic Self.

 

Now, diving deeper into the concept, there are also parts, energies, or entities that may enter our system but do not operate in the same way as the parts described above. These parts often carry archetypal or collective energies, drawing on Carl Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious, and can arise through what Robert Falconer refers to as the “porous mind,” where influences from beyond the individual can enter our field. What distinguishes these parts from individual parts is that they do not carry the essence of one’s Self. As a result, they are not meant to be integrated into the individual’s psyche in the same way as other parts are. However, we can still work with them in a very similar way - which is to understand their underlying intention and explore where they truly belong.

The Porous Mind

Robert Falconer, in his book, The Others Within Us challenges the “citadel mind” model of the human psyche, which suggests that the psyche is always sealed off from the exterior. This representation of the mind appears to be a Western cultural construct where we imagine the self as enclosed and private (the citadel model) and contrasts with other cultures and traditions that envision a more open “porous” mind. When we acknowledge the mind (and its parts) as more porous and fluid, as Dan Siegel states, ‘more verb than a fixed noun-like entity’, the possibility that parts, energies or entities outside of the individual system can enter (or leave) becomes much more viable. I want to clarify that this notion of a porous mind does not negate the existence of a coherent Self or an individual identity - it is both/and in that we are an individual who is embedded in an interdependent, collective matrix that we are constantly in relationship with.

What do different systems say?

There are many spiritual traditions that recognise the existence of energies or parts that don’t belong to the individual but can penetrate human consciousness - often labelling them as spirits or non-human intelligences. In shamanism, invisible spirits or agencies are taken as ontologically real - entities that have will, intention, and sometimes independent existence. Many shamanic healing practices involve soul retrieval (where a fragment of the soul is restored) and extraction (removing unwanted energetic intruders), which aligns very much with the concept of integrating parts of the psyche and removing, what in IFS, they call unattached burdens or legacy burdens. In IFS, these burdens are considered to be strong emotions or beliefs that parts end up carrying and have been inherited by the collective or through intergenerational trauma. IFS also acknowledges the existence of entire parts (not just burdens) that can enter the system of an individual.

Spiritism holds the view that non-embodied spirits can interact with humans, sometimes influencing or attaching to people’s minds or lives. Spirits are understood to be disembodied intelligences, often souls of deceased people or “spirits” that can influence or guide, or attach to living people under certain conditions. Tibetan spiritual traditions describe spirits or “hungry ghosts” that can attach to humans, which resonates strongly with the concept of Wetiko, which was spoken largely about by Paul Levy, but the concept is taken from the Indigenous people of North America. Wetiko is conceptualised as a mind-parasite that feeds on fear, separation, and unconsciousness. It can result in individual and collective ‘psychosis’ and is both personal and archetypal. Paul Levy emphasises that wetiko can only operate through our unconsciousness, but once we see it, its power diminishes.

These energies or parts, spoken about across various traditions and cultures, can be differentiated from internal parts largely based on the fact that they don’t have the intention to protect or support our system, but seek to destroy or cause disruption. As a result, they are not to be integrated into the system in the same way, and these attachments often need to find their ‘home’ within the wider collective or can be transformed through the healing process itself.

Why do these parts/energies come in?

 These energies may enter our system (and are often created) as a result of trauma, which can cause a vulnerability or opening that allows them in. Experiences of vulnerability, grief, or neglect can leave spaces within our psyche where these foreign presences may take hold, finding a home and feeding on our pain, trauma, and fear. A similar theory to this is that of Donald Kalsched, who suggests that trauma causes a soul aspect of the self to retreat, and other parts to develop as archetypal defences in order to project the psyche. Rather than supporting, these protective archetypal defences end up traumatising the psyche even more. He came to understand that it is the dissociation and regression of - what he referred to as the soul - alongside the progressive creation of the false self that results in the tragic symptoms of trauma, but it is also what enables one’s survival. The irony is that this self-care system turns against the person it is supposed to be protecting. These protective parts of the person can therefore be understood as forces in the psyche that keeps unproductive suffering alive - they remains stuck in a never-ending self-generating feedback loop of destruction - acting as an inner persecutor (believing this is keeping these parts safe), but in fact, stops the integration of these parts and prevent one from reaching a coherent whole connected with the sacred. Donald Kalsched’s self-care system offers us a slightly different perspective because he is suggesting that some intrusive or destructive parts are internal, trauma-generated. However, Robert Falconer suggests these models may overlap: some intrusive parts are internal, trauma-generated, while others may actually be non-native entities or perhaps generated by collective and intergenerational trauma. My perspective is that it’s important to hold space for both of these to be a reality, and perhaps what’s more important is our approach to working with these parts.

 

How do we tell the difference?

The main way to differentiate between energies, burdens, or parts that do not belong to us and those that are part of our system is to directly, and with compassion, ask the part or energy about its intention. The underlying purpose or value of the parts that do belong to us will always, at their core, be to support or help us in some way. This remains true even if their behaviour has become destructive, such as in the case of addiction or self-harm. In contrast, energies or parts that do not belong to our system often lack a positive intention; some may feed on our energy or cause harm in a way similar to how a parasite or virus affects a host. The most effective way to address such intrusions is to guide them back to their original source or home. Robert Falconer offers a simple yet powerful technique (often found in spiritual and shamanic traditions) which involves meeting the energy or attachment with compassion and guiding it back to the light. A key insight here is that if we ever feel uncertain about the intent or origin of an energy or part, we can always respond to it in the same way: by meeting it with compassion and seeking to understand its underlying purpose. Paul Levy, through his Wetiko theory, also offers a valuable perspective: these parts or energies only have power over us when they remain unconscious. Whenever we bring them into awareness and meet them without fear or resistance, their power naturally diminishes.

Guides and Helpers

It’s important to recognise that not all presences that come into contact with the individual psyche are harmful. Some may be guides or ancestors serving a protective role. Internal Family Systems acknowledges the existence of archetypal or spiritual presences such as angels, ancestors, animals, and light beings that may turn up within the healing or coaching process. This perspective aligns with most shamanic systems, which consider guides to be real, autonomous beings which the shaman or one journeying through shamanic realms form relationships with. They aren’t viewed as parts of one’s psyche, but as beings in the spirit world who assist, protect, teach, and heal. Jungian psychology also speaks of archetypal figures that can appear as guides, mentors, or wise old men/women who represent deep structures of the psyche. These figures are typically understood as aspects of the collective unconscious, and Jung remained open to their semi-independent reality. When it comes to working with clients to heal, the question of whether these guides or helpers exist as an ontological reality becomes less important than working with the belief system of the individual at that moment in time.

How do we work with these parts in coaching?

As mentioned, whatever our ontological assumptions about the nature of reality, we are still able to work with these parts, energies or entities by adopting a very similar approach - that is, to meet these energies with respect, understanding, compassion and seek to find the underlying purpose and need of what we are working with. When working with the energies or parts in the context of transpersonal coaching, we always approach them by being anchored in what Jevon Dangeli calls open awareness and anchored in our authentic self. From this space, we are able to be present with the energy without being consumed with fear or resistance. We then seek to understand what form the energy has taken - how do we feel, sense, hear or see its presence within us? We then explore our relationship to the part - how we feel towards it. Through careful exploration of the part and by directly asking it, we can find out if it belongs to us or if it is something else.

In Transpersonal Coaching, we can explore the part or energy even further - through a Part’s Coaching Process, we seek to know its expression, beliefs, emotions, values, purpose, and finally, its need. The ability for the coach and client to stay anchored in open awareness and the energy of Self is crucial here, so we can really seek to discern what we are working with. When we explore the part’s values and purpose, we can clarify even further the part’s intention. If it is to protect in some way, we assume this is a protective part (as in relation to Donald Kalshed’s concept of the self-care system or IFS managers and fighters). If it appears the intention is to cause harm in some way or if there is uncertainty around this, the most important approach is still to meet the part or energy in open awareness and without fear or resistance. If we relate this concept back to that of Wetiko, such energies feed on fear or resistance and can only have power over us if they remain unconscious. What I find to be even more helpful here is when we transcend the dualistic thinking of ‘negative’ or ‘positive’ but recognise that what appears ‘negative’ or destructive can also often serve an intention or purpose, which is often to wake us up to what is lying unconscious within us. A perfect example is that wetiko may enter the psyche of a person who has experienced trauma, but the energy or wetiko wakes us up to where there is fragmentation within the psyche. It causes us to turn towards what needs to be addressed so we can start to integrate and bring greater healing and wholeness to ourselves and how we relate to others and the world.

Recognising that the psyche is not entirely closed off but is instead porous and interconnected with the wider collective invites us to hold a more nuanced understanding of the parts and energies we encounter within ourselves and in our work with others. By expanding beyond a purely intrapsychic model, we are better able to discern the origins and intentions of different parts - whether they are protective aspects of our own system, burdens inherited through collective or intergenerational trauma, or external energies seeking resolution. Approaching all of these with compassion, curiosity, and open awareness allows us to meet each part or presence from the grounded space of Self, rather than fear or resistance. In doing so, we not only support our individual healing but also contribute to a wider process of collective integration and transformation. Ultimately, whether we are working with internal parts or external energies, it is our capacity to bring consciousness, presence, and compassion to what arises that dissolves their power to harm and transforms these encounters into opportunities for deeper healing and wholeness.

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