Psychological & Psychotherapy

What is Parts Dialogue Practice?

Parts Dialogue Practice is a guided inner-dialogue meditation in which you turn toward a specific internal part with curiosity and listen, from a calm and compassionate core, to what it feels, fears, and needs.

Indirect Evidence

Last Updated

4 Jul 2026

We are still reviewing this page. Our research team checks every technique page for accuracy and evidence quality before final release. Details may change as that review completes. The evidence badge shows our current reading of the published research.

RECOMMENDED DOSE

How Much Parts Dialogue Practice Should You Do?

No direct dose-response literature exists for this technique. A short, gentle introduction gives newcomers space to notice inner "parts" without becoming overwhelmed. No direct dose evidence; editorial synthesis.

No direct dose evidence; editorial synthesis. A moderate step up allows more sustained dialogue with parts once the basics feel comfortable, in line with general introspective-practice conventions.

No direct dose evidence; editorial synthesis. Longer, more frequent sessions suit experienced practitioners maintaining a deeper practice, and are best undertaken with support from a qualified facilitator.

Session length

Session length: 10–15 minutes

MIN

How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.

Frequency

Frequency: 2–3 days

DAYS

The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

Session length

Session length: 20–30 minutes

MIN

How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.

Frequency

Frequency: 3–4 days

DAYS

The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

Session length

Session length: 40–60 minutes

MIN

How long each individual practice session should last from start to finish.

Frequency

Frequency: 4–5 days

DAYS

The number of days per week to fit a session into your routine.

About this card. No direct dose-response literature exists for this technique; these recommendations are based on general practice conventions for introspective/parts-work meditation and should be treated as starting points only. These recommendations are not a substitute for personalised guidance from a qualified practitioner.

Related Techniques to Parts Dialogue Practice

Two-Chair Dialogue

Inner Child Healing

Common questions about Parts Dialogue Practice

Quick answers to what people most often ask. Each card links to the deeper section below.

evidence

What does the research say about Parts Dialogue Practice?

No controlled studies have tested Parts Dialogue Practice in its self-guided form, so its support is indirect. Research on the parent traditions, Internal Family Systems and Gestalt two-chair work, suggests therapist-led experiential therapies can help people process emotion, but those findings were gathered with clinicians and cannot prove results for this meditation.

good for

Who is Parts Dialogue Practice good for?

Parts Dialogue Practice may suit adults who want to understand recurring inner reactions, process emotion, or soften a persistent inner critic, anger, or grief, and who feel comfortable relating to inner states as parts they can listen to. It is not a substitute for care when trauma, dissociation, or overwhelming emotion is severe.

safety

Is Parts Dialogue Practice safe?

Most healthy adults can practise Parts Dialogue Practice as a low-risk way to turn toward inner experience. Because it makes contact with parts carrying old pain, grief, fear, or anger may rise faster than expected before settling. People with complex trauma, dissociation, or active addiction should work alongside a qualified clinician rather than alone.

how it works

How does Parts Dialogue Practice work?

Parts Dialogue Practice is understood to work through unblending, stepping back so the observing, compassionate part of you feels separate from the reactive state you notice. That small distance lets a strong emotion be listened to instead of taking over, while receiving answers as bodily impressions keeps attention in the body rather than analysis.

For clinicians, researchers, and curious readers

What's in a session?

How does it work?

What does it do to the body?

What is it used for?

What does the research say?

Where does it come from?

Is it safe?Who should practise with care?How to practise safely?

How does it compare?

What does a Parts Dialogue Practice session involve?

Parts Dialogue Practice is a guided meditation in which you turn toward one specific inner part with curiosity and listen, from a calm, compassionate core, to what it feels, fears, and needs.

You settle, bring one inner part to mind, and find where it sits in the body as a sensation or an image. From a steady, curious vantage point you ask it a short sequence of questions, what are you feeling, what do you fear would happen if you stopped your job, how old are you, what do you need from me, and let the answers arrive through felt sense, imagery, or intuition rather than reasoning them out. A session usually closes by acknowledging the part and letting it know it was heard.

Parts Dialogue Practice is a self-guided meditative adaptation of Internal Family Systems and Gestalt dialogue work, not formal therapy with a clinician. It is not roleplay or arguing with yourself; the stance is listening to a part with curiosity from a calm core rather than trying to silence or override it. It also differs from talk-based self-analysis, because answers are received through the body and imagery rather than worked out intellectually. It is not a treatment for diagnosed conditions and is not a substitute for professional care.

Not to be confused with

Positive self-talk or affirmations

Affirmations reassure or overwrite an unwanted feeling with a chosen phrase. Parts Dialogue Practice does the opposite: it turns toward the part carrying that feeling and listens to what it fears and needs, without trying to talk it out of anything.

Voice Dialogue (Stone & Stone)

Voice Dialogue is another subpersonality method, usually with a facilitator moving your awareness into each self and speaking as it. Parts Dialogue Practice keeps a compassionate observing Self at the centre asking the questions, rather than fully stepping into each part.

Hearing voices or auditory hallucinations

The parts here are a reflective, felt metaphor for inner states, not perceived external voices. If inner voices feel externally real, intrusive, or commanding, that is a clinical matter for a professional rather than something to explore through self-guided dialogue.

General mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness typically observes whatever arises and lets it pass without engaging it. Parts Dialogue Practice actively converses with a specific part, asking questions and waiting for answers, so it is a relational process rather than open, non-reactive noticing.

How does Parts Dialogue Practice work?

Parts Dialogue Practice is understood to work mainly through unblending, the act of stepping back so that the observing, compassionate part of you feels separate from the reactive state you are noticing, that small distance is what lets a strong emotion be listened to instead of taking over. Receiving the part's answers through felt sense, a vague but meaningful bodily impression that arrives before words, keeps attention in the body rather than in analysis. As the part's story is finally witnessed, long-held feelings can move and discharge, and the metaphors and images that surface help reorganise what the experience means. These mechanisms come from the Internal Family Systems and Gestalt traditions the practice borrows from; they describe how it is thought to work, not findings measured in this self-guided format.

What does Parts Dialogue Practice do to the body?

In the body, Parts Dialogue Practice tends to feel like emotional arousal rising and then easing, a wave of grief, fear, or anger that can surface as you make contact with a part, often followed by a softening or lightness once it feels heard. The practice deliberately loosens the thinking brain's usual hold over the emotional centres so that feeling becomes more accessible, which is why sensation and emotion may intensify before they settle. These bodily changes are described from how the practice is thought to work and from its parent traditions; they have not been directly measured for this self-guided format.

What is Parts Dialogue Practice used for?

No direct evidence for Parts Dialogue Practice in its self-guided form is available yet, so its benefits are best described as lineage-supported rather than demonstrated. People turn to it for emotional processing and release, easing anger, working with grief, and greater self-understanding, and these uses are consistent with the Internal Family Systems and Gestalt dialogue traditions it draws on. What is not yet supported: controlled trials of this specific format, long-term follow-up, head-to-head comparisons with other approaches, and any claim that it treats or resolves a diagnosed condition. Findings from those parent therapies were gathered in therapist-led sessions and cannot be read as proof of results for this meditation.

What does the research say about Parts Dialogue Practice?

Direct research on Parts Dialogue Practice itself was not found in the available evidence, so what can be said comes from the traditions behind it. Research on Internal Family Systems and on Gestalt two-chair work, broader parent approaches rather than this self-guided meditation, suggests the wider family of humanistic and experiential therapies can help people process emotion, but those studies tested therapist-led sessions across mixed populations and outcomes. It is reasonable to treat this practice as a promising approach with real clinical roots rather than a proven protocol, and to notice for yourself what shifts.

The main limitation is that no controlled studies have evaluated Parts Dialogue Practice in its self-guided form; supporting evidence is indirect, drawn from Internal Family Systems and Gestalt parent traditions tested with therapists rather than as meditation. Available parent-tradition research spans mixed populations and outcomes, so its results may not transfer to this format, and there is no long-term or comparative data specific to this practice.

Read the full reference list

Where does Parts Dialogue Practice come from?

Parts Dialogue Practice grows out of Internal Family Systems, developed by Richard Schwartz, which pictures the mind as a system of distinct parts organised around a compassionate core Self, and it resonates with Gestalt therapy's two-chair dialogue, the practice of voicing and meeting different sides of oneself. These roots help explain the form and continuity of the practice, its curious questioning of parts and its listening stance, not its clinical effects.

Is Parts Dialogue Practice safe?

For most healthy adults, Parts Dialogue Practice is a low-risk way to turn toward inner experience with curiosity. Because it deliberately makes contact with parts that carry old pain, it can briefly loosen the thinking brain's usual brake on the emotional centers, so grief, fear, or anger may rise faster than expected, often followed by a sense of relief as the feeling settles. This caution is practice-informed and mechanism-inferred: it comes from how the practice works and from its Internal Family Systems and Gestalt roots, not from a study that measured adverse events. Hold the practice as support alongside professional care, not as a replacement for it.

Who should practise with care?

People living with complex trauma, dissociation, or active addiction should approach this practice alongside a qualified clinician rather than alone. Unguided contact with painful material can surface more emotion than the nervous system can steady in the moment. Anyone in acute distress or with thoughts of self-harm should seek direct professional support first. This is practice-informed guidance, inherited from how Internal Family Systems and Gestalt traditions are used in trauma-aware settings; no safety trials of this self-guided format were available in the retrieved evidence.

Emotions may rise faster than expected

lowpractice-informed

Because Parts Dialogue Practice deliberately makes contact with parts that carry old pain, it can briefly loosen the thinking brain's usual brake on the emotional centers, so grief, fear, or anger may surge before a sense of relief settles in. Keep contact brief, stay in the observer seat, and slow your questions the moment arousal climbs. This caution is practice-informed and mechanism-inferred from how the practice works and from its Internal Family Systems and Gestalt roots, not from a study that measured adverse events.

Complex trauma, dissociation, or active addiction

lowpractice-informed

How does Parts Dialogue Practice compare to similar techniques?

Technique	Best for	Use with care	Evidence strength	Distinction
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy	Working through complex, trauma-laden parts with a trained clinician holding the pace and the safety of the process.	When material feels heavy or dissociative, the self-guided format lacks the external anchor a therapist offers.	moderate EVIDENCE	IFS is the full therapist-led model this practice grows out of: a trained clinician holds the process while you meet protective and exiled parts over many sessions. Parts Dialogue Practice is a self-guided meditative slice of that model, one inner conversation you run alone, without the external anchor and pacing a therapist provides.
Gestalt two-chair / empty-chair work	Conflicts or unfinished business you want to voice aloud, especially with another person imagined in the empty chair.		moderate EVIDENCE

Glossary

Part

An inner sub-personality or mode with its own feelings, fears, and role, experienced as a distinct voice or presence rather than the whole of you. In practice a part often shows up as a tightness, an image, or a familiar reaction that seems to have its own agenda.

In IFS, a discrete internal subsystem carrying particular emotions, beliefs, and protective functions, addressable as a relational entity separate from the core Self.

Self

The calm, curious core awareness you speak from when you turn toward a part, the part of you that can listen without being swept away. It tends to feel spacious and compassionate, less reactive than the parts it is meeting.

In IFS, the undamaged seat of awareness characterised by qualities such as calm, curiosity, and compassion, from which parts are witnessed and unburdened.

Exile

A vulnerable part, often young, that carries old pain the system has pushed out of awareness to keep it from overwhelming you. Contacting an exile can bring a wave of grief or fear as its story is finally heard.

Protector

A part whose job is to keep an exile's pain from surfacing, whether by managing and controlling ahead of time or by reacting strongly when the pain breaks through. It often feels like the inner critic, the planner, or the impulse that takes over under stress.

Unblending

The shift from being fused with a part to observing it, so you can feel it without becoming it. It often lands as a small step back, a sense of room opening between you and a reaction that a moment ago felt like all of you.

Self-parts unblending: differentiation of observing Self from a reactive part, creating relational space between observer and internal state.

Felt sense

The body's vague, pre-verbal impression of a situation or emotion, meaningful but not yet in words. It is the murky bodily knowing you attend to when a part's answers arrive as sensation or image rather than as thought.

Full References

[1]other peer reviewed

Winkelman John W, Berkowski J Andrew, DelRosso Lourdes M, Koo Brian B, Scharf Matthew T, Sharon Denise (2025). Treatment of restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder: an American Academy of Sleep Medicine clinical practice guideline.. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.11390

DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.11390

Cited in: –

[2]other peer reviewed

Madeleine J. Dunn, Erin M. Rodríguez, Anna S. Barnwell, Julie C. Grossenbacher, Kathryn Vannatta, Cynthia A. Gerhardt (2011). Posttraumatic stress symptoms in parents of children with cancer within six months of diagnosis.. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025545

DOI: 10.1037/a0025545

Cited in: –

People living with complex trauma, dissociation, or active addiction should approach this practice alongside a qualified, trauma-informed clinician rather than alone. Unguided contact with painful material can surface more emotion than the nervous system can steady in the moment. This guidance is inherited from how Internal Family Systems and Gestalt traditions are used in trauma-aware settings; no safety trials of this self-guided format were available in the retrieved evidence.

Acute distress or thoughts of self-harm

lowpractice-informed

Anyone in acute distress or with thoughts of self-harm should seek direct professional support first, before any further inner work. Parts Dialogue Practice is support alongside professional care, not a replacement for it.

Inner voices that feel externally real

lowpractice-informed

The parts in this practice are a reflective, felt metaphor for inner states, not voices perceived as coming from outside you. If an inner voice feels externally real, intrusive, or commanding, treat that as a clinical matter for a qualified professional to assess rather than something to explore through self-guided dialogue.

How to practise safely?

Parts Dialogue Practice is best approached during unhurried time when you already feel reasonably grounded, since making contact with parts that carry old pain can bring feelings up faster than expected. A sensible starting format is a shorter session where you turn toward a part that carries only mild tension, staying curious while keeping some observing space between you and the emotion. Think of it as support that sits alongside professional care rather than a replacement for it.

Choose a settled starting point

Begin when you have unhurried time and feel reasonably grounded, not in the middle of a crisis or a wave of overwhelm, so that any strong feeling that rises has room to move and settle.

Start with a less charged part

In your first sessions, turn toward a part that carries mild tension rather than your rawest material. Let yourself learn the rhythm of contact and release before approaching deeper pain.

Keep one foot in the observer seat

Notice the part with curiosity while staying aware that you are the one listening. This unblending stance, in which observing awareness stays separate from the reactive feeling, keeps some steady space between you and the emotion instead of letting it sweep you in.

Track your body as you go

Pay attention to breath, heart rate, and muscle tension. If arousal climbs sharply, that quickening is a cue to slow the questions, soften your focus, and let the part know you can pause.

Build in an exit ramp

Decide in advance how you will close a session that becomes too intense: opening your eyes, feeling your feet on the floor, or turning attention to a neutral sensation until the wave passes.

Involve a professional when material runs deep

If old trauma, dissociation, or addiction is part of your history, or if distress escalates during a session or does not settle afterward, treat that as a signal to pause self-guided work and continue alongside a qualified, trauma-informed clinician.

Medical Disclaimer

This information is educational and is not medical advice. This practice is not a substitute for professional care and should not replace prescribed medication or treatment for any medical or mental-health condition. If you are managing a health condition or taking medication, talk with a qualified health professional before changing your practice. If you are in distress or crisis, seek professional support.

Does Parts Dialogue Practice actually work, or is it just an idea?

It's promising rather than proven. No controlled studies have tested this self-guided format, so it can't be called established. It draws on Internal Family Systems and Gestalt dialogue traditions, and is best explored as a personal experiment you track for yourself.

It's promising rather than proven. Direct research on Parts Dialogue Practice in its self-guided form was not available, so its support is indirect and inherited from the Internal Family Systems and Gestalt dialogue traditions it grows out of. Those parent approaches were studied in therapist-led sessions across mixed populations, which cannot be read as proof that this specific meditation works or that it treats any condition. A fair reading is that this practice has real clinical roots worth exploring while you notice your own response.

Is there any research behind talking to your inner parts?

Not directly. No controlled studies have tested Parts Dialogue Practice in its self-guided form; its support is inherited from the Internal Family Systems and Gestalt dialogue traditions it grows out of, which were studied therapist-led. Treat it as lineage-supported, not established for this format.

Not directly. Direct research on this specific self-guided practice was not available in the retrieved evidence, so what can be said comes from its parent traditions: Internal Family Systems and Gestalt two-chair dialogue, the sources this inner-conversation method adapts. Those approaches were tested in therapist-led sessions across mixed populations, so their findings describe the wider humanistic-experiential family rather than this meditation, and they should not be read as proof that this format works or treats any diagnosed condition. It is fair to call the practice suggestive rather than confirmed, a method with real clinical roots, and to notice for yourself what shifts.

Why does turning toward a difficult feeling help instead of making it stronger?

Because meeting a feeling with a little observing distance lets you listen to it rather than be swept into it. In the traditions this practice draws on, that step back, called unblending, is thought to keep a strong emotion from taking over, so it can be felt and move through rather than fought. Arousal may briefly rise before it settles.

Because turning toward a part from a calm, observing place, rather than fusing with it, is thought to create room where the feeling can be heard instead of running the show. In the Internal Family Systems and Gestalt traditions this practice adapts, that small step back, called unblending, lets a strong emotion be witnessed; receiving its message through felt sense keeps attention in the body rather than in analysis; and a feeling that is finally acknowledged can move and discharge. This is how the practice is understood to work through its parent traditions, not a measured finding for this self-guided format, and emotion may rise before it eases.

What should I do if strong emotions come up during a session?

Pause and ground. If strong feelings surge, slow your questions, open your eyes, feel your feet on the floor, or rest on a neutral sensation until the wave settles. If distress keeps climbing, or you have a trauma or dissociation history, stop and continue with a qualified clinician.

Pause and ground. Stay in the observer seat, the part of you that is listening rather than fused with the feeling, track your breath and muscle tension, and slow your questions the moment arousal climbs. Use a pre-planned exit: open your eyes, plant your feet, or turn to a neutral sensation until you settle, and treat escalating distress, or a trauma, dissociation, or self-harm history, as a signal to work alongside a qualified clinician. This guidance is inferred from how the practice works and from its Internal Family Systems and Gestalt roots rather than from a safety trial, since no direct study of this self-guided format was available.

Is Parts Dialogue Practice safe to do on my own if I have a trauma history?

Use care. With a trauma history, complex trauma, dissociation, or active addiction, do this practice alongside a trauma-informed clinician rather than alone, and seek professional support first if you are in acute distress or having thoughts of self-harm. No safety trials of this self-guided format exist, so this guidance is inherited from how the parent traditions are used, not measured.

Use care. Because Parts Dialogue Practice deliberately makes contact with parts carrying old pain, unguided work can surface more emotion than the nervous system can steady in the moment, which is riskier when trauma, dissociation, or addiction is part of your history. Direct research on this specific self-guided practice was not available in the retrieved evidence, so this is a practice-informed caution inherited from trauma-aware use of Internal Family Systems and Gestalt, not a finding from a study that measured adverse events. The safe framing is practical: keep contact brief, build in a way to stop and ground, and treat the practice as support for professional care rather than a replacement for it.

How do I start Parts Dialogue Practice by myself?

Start when you feel settled, not mid-crisis, and choose a mildly charged inner part rather than your rawest pain. Keep one foot in the observer seat, greet the part with curiosity, ask what it feels, fears, and needs, and track your breath so you can slow down or open your eyes if arousal climbs.

Begin from a grounded, unhurried moment and turn toward one specific part with curiosity, listening from a calm, compassionate core rather than trying to fix or argue with it. Keep the observer seat, an unblending stance where you notice the part without becoming it, receive its answers as felt sense or imagery, and decide an exit ramp in advance, such as feeling your feet on the floor. If complex trauma, dissociation, or active addiction is part of your history, work alongside a qualified, trauma-informed clinician rather than alone. This is practice-informed guidance drawn from the Internal Family Systems and Gestalt traditions the practice adapts, not proof it treats any condition.

What's the difference between Parts Dialogue Practice and IFS therapy with a therapist?

The main difference is role and support: IFS therapy is the full therapist-led model where a trained clinician holds the pacing and safety across sessions, while Parts Dialogue Practice is a self-guided meditative slice of that model you run alone. It is not a substitute for clinician-led care, especially where trauma, dissociation, or addiction is involved.

The difference is structural, not a matter of one working better than the other. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is the broader parent approach: a trained clinician guides you through meeting protective and exiled parts over time, holding the pace and steadying the process. Parts Dialogue Practice adapts that lineage into a single self-guided inner conversation you hold on your own, without the external anchor a therapist provides. No head-to-head study has compared the two, so this is a description of form and role rather than a claim about relative effectiveness, and the self-guided version is best treated as a support for professional care, not a replacement for it.

What if the part I'm listening to feels like a real external voice?

Pause and take it seriously. In this practice a part is a reflective, felt metaphor for an inner state, not a voice you hear as external. If a voice feels externally real, intrusive, or commanding, treat that as a clinical matter for a qualified professional rather than something to explore through self-guided dialogue.

Pause and take it seriously. The parts in Parts Dialogue Practice are an internal, imagined way of relating to your own feelings, so they normally show up as a sense, an image, or a familiar reaction rather than a voice perceived as coming from outside you. If an inner voice feels externally real, intrusive, or as though it is commanding you, that crosses out of self-guided practice and into territory a qualified clinician should assess. If you are in acute distress or having thoughts of self-harm, seek direct professional support first, before any further inner work.

Gendlin's term for a holistic, bodily-felt meaning that precedes conceptual articulation and, when attended to, yields insight.

Affective release

The experience of a held emotion becoming accessible and moving through you, often followed by relief or lightness. It can feel like something finally letting go once a part's feeling has been allowed and witnessed.

Emotional catharsis and affect expression: increased access to and discharge of previously suppressed or avoided emotion.

Two-chair technique

A Gestalt method where you speak each side of an inner conflict aloud from a different seat, physically moving between them. It externalises the dialogue that Parts Dialogue Practice keeps internal.

An experiential Gestalt intervention using spatial separation to enact and integrate conflicting aspects of experience.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

A model of the mind as a system of distinct parts organised around a compassionate core Self. It is the tradition Parts Dialogue Practice adapts into self-guided form.

A psychotherapy developed by Richard Schwartz that works with protectors, exiles, and Self to relieve internal burdens.

Symbolic processing

Working with metaphor, imagery, and narrative to reorganise meaning, letting abstract ideas link up with felt experience. In this practice it shows up when a part communicates through a picture, a scene, or emotionally charged language rather than plain statement.

Cognitive engagement with symbols and narrative structures that links concepts to affect and supports insight and integration.

[3]other peer reviewed

Zhang Xiaoyan, Monnat Shannon M (2022). Racial/ethnic differences in clusters of adverse childhood experiences and associations with adolescent mental health.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100997

DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100997

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[4]other peer reviewed

Flowers Taylor A, Campbell Emily Hagel, Noorbaloochi Siamak, Polusny Melissa A (2025). Latent class patterns of adverse childhood experiences and mental health among National Guard recruits.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107671

DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2025.107671

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[5]other peer reviewed

Tokumitsu Keita, Sugawara Norio, Tabuchi Takahiro, Yasui-Furukori Norio (2025). Adverse childhood experiences mediate the association between ADHD symptoms and severe psychological distress in the Japanese general population: a causal mediation analysis of 29,268 participants.. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-07656-9

DOI: 10.1186/s12888-025-07656-9

Cited in: –

[6]other peer reviewed

Schalinski Inga, Teicher Martin H, Nischk Daniel, Hinderer Eva, Müller Oliver, Rockstroh Brigitte (2016). Type and timing of adverse childhood experiences differentially affect severity of PTSD, dissociative and depressive symptoms in adult inpatients.. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-1004-5

DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-1004-5

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[7]book or historical source

M.I. Krajniak, K. Anderson, Andrew R. Eisen (2015). Separation Anxiety. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-397045-9.00251-2

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-397045-9.00251-2

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[8]book or historical source

Kathryn L. Keough, Andrew R. Eisen (2022). Separation anxiety. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-323-91497-0.00098-9

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-91497-0.00098-9

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[9]other peer reviewed

Ho Grace W K, Bressington D, Karatzias T, Chien W T, Inoue S, Yang P J (2020). Patterns of exposure to adverse childhood experiences and their associations with mental health: a survey of 1346 university students in East Asia.. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-019-01768-w

DOI: 10.1007/s00127-019-01768-w

Cited in: –

[10]observational

Mark Attridge, Russell C Morfitt, David Roseborough, Edward R Jones (2020). Internet-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for College Students With Anxiety, Depression, Social Anxiety, or Insomnia: Four Single-Group Longitudinal Studies of Archival Commercial Data and Replication of Employee User Study. https://doi.org/10.2196/17712

DOI: 10.2196/17712

Cited in: –

[11]other peer reviewed

Tamara Rumpold, S. Schur, Michaela Amering, Alexandra Ebert‐Vogel, K. Kirchheiner, Eva Katharina Masel (2016). Hope as determinant for psychiatric morbidity in family caregivers of advanced cancer patients. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.4205

DOI: 10.1002/pon.4205

Cited in: –

[12]other peer reviewed

Mersky Joshua P, Janczewski Colleen E, Nitkowski Jenna C (2018). Poor mental health among low-income women in the U.S.: The roles of adverse childhood and adult experiences.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.03.043

DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.03.043

Cited in: –

[13]other peer reviewed

Aberdine R. Dwight (2022). Exploring the utility of the depression anxiety and stress scales, short form (DASS-21) as a progress monitoring tool for youth. https://doi.org/10.17760/d20467197

DOI: 10.17760/d20467197

Cited in: –

[14]meta analysis

Xiaoyu Yang, Shanshan Jiang, Xiaotong Wang, Rong Wang, Pan Li, N. Cao (2025). Effectiveness of digital health on psychological well-being in parents of children with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-025-15050-7

DOI: 10.1186/s12885-025-15050-7

Cited in: –

[15]observational

K. Dhanusha, P. Raghuram, S. Loganathan, M. Mithra (2026). Examining the association between fear of progression and parental stress among primary caregivers of children with cancer: A cross-sectional study. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phoj.2026.100857

DOI: 10.1016/j.phoj.2026.100857

Cited in: –

[16]observational

Zachary Lu Zékai (2025). Excessive digital devices use as an intermediate variable between heterogeneous adverse childhood experiences and psychopathology in US adolescents: a latent class cross-sectional analysis.. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-025-02777-8

DOI: 10.1007/s00787-025-02777-8

Cited in: –

[17]book or historical source

Andrew R. Eisen, Joshua M. Sussman, Talya Schmidt, Luke Mason, Lee Ann Hausler, Rebecca L. Hashim (2011). Separation Anxiety Disorder. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7784-7_17

DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4419-7784-7_17

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[18]book or historical source

Kristen L. Lavallee, Silvia Schneider (2019). Separation Anxiety Disorder. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-813004-9.00008-6

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-813004-9.00008-6

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[19]other peer reviewed

Lian James, Kiely Kim M, Callaghan Bridget L, Anstey Kaarin J (2024). Childhood adversity is associated with anxiety and depression in older adults: A cumulative risk and latent class analysis.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.016

DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.03.016

Cited in: –

[20]other peer reviewed

M.J. Abenza Abildúa, E. Suárez Gisbert, F.J. Navacerrada Barrero, V. Lores Gutiérrez, D. Rojano Baz, Á. Díaz Pérez (2026). Gestión del insomnio en la consulta de neurología de una unidad del sueño multidisciplinar. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nrl.2026.502082

DOI: 10.1016/j.nrl.2026.502082

Cited in: –

[21]randomized controlled trial

Krista M Greeley, Rachel M. Lee, Joshua Tulk, Scott Harding, Yanqing Yi, Kris Aubrey‐Bassler (2025). Recording and reporting of adverse events during a randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) among cancer survivors. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41606-025-00129-8

DOI: 10.1186/s41606-025-00129-8

Cited in: –

[22]other peer reviewed

Rosa Torrano, Juan Manuel Ortigosa Quiles, Antonio M. García-Molina Riquelme, Francisco Javier Martínez Méndez, José Antonio López Pina (2020). Test Anxiety in Adolescent Students: Different Responses According to the Components of Anxiety as a Function of Sociodemographic and Academic Variables. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.612270

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.612270

Cited in: –

[23]observational

Heleen Maurice‐Stam, Frans J. Oort, Bob F. Last, Paul Brons, H.N. Caron, Martha A. Grootenhuis (2009). School-aged children after the end of successful treatment of non-central nervous system cancer: longitudinal assessment of health-related quality of life, anxiety and coping. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2354.2008.01041.x

DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2354.2008.01041.x

Cited in: –

[24]book or historical source

Vijaya Manicavasagar, Derrick Silove (2020). The assessment of separation anxiety and separation anxiety disorder. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-812554-0.00003-6

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-812554-0.00003-6

Cited in: –

[25]other peer reviewed

Susan H. Spence (2017). Assessing anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12251

DOI: 10.1111/camh.12251

Cited in: –

[26]other peer reviewed

Olga Jablonka, Alix P. Sarubbi, Amy M. Rapp, Anne Marie Albano (2012). Cognitive Behavior Therapy for the Anxiety Triad. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chc.2012.05.011

DOI: 10.1016/j.chc.2012.05.011

Cited in: –

[27]other peer reviewed

Diana J. Whalen, Kirsten Gilbert, Deanna M. Barch, Joan L. Luby, Andy C. Belden (2016). Variation in common preschool sleep problems as an early predictor for depression and anxiety symptom severity across time. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12639

DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12639

Cited in: –

[28]other peer reviewed

Villodas Miguel T, Morelli Nicholas M, Hong Kajung, Duong Jacqueline, Evans Meghan C, Elson Damian (2021). Differences in late adolescent psychopathology among youth with histories of co-occurring abuse and neglect experiences.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105189

DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105189

Cited in: –

[29]other peer reviewed

Charak Ruby, Villarreal Lillianne, Schmitz Rachel M, Hirai Michiyo, Ford Julian D (2019). Patterns of childhood maltreatment and intimate partner violence, emotion dysregulation, and mental health symptoms among lesbian, gay, and bisexual emerging adults: A three-step latent class approach.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.01.007

DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.01.007

Cited in: –

[30]other peer reviewed

Nur Seda Gülcü Üstün, Şefika Nur Gümüş, Nusret Soylu (2023). Oxytocin Levels in Children with Separation Anxiety and Their Mothers before and after Treatment. https://doi.org/10.9758/cpn.22.1008

DOI: 10.9758/cpn.22.1008

Cited in: –

[31]other peer reviewed

Lauren Waterman, Fleur Harrison, Uche Osuagwu, S Dougan (2025). Patterns of insomnia and its treatment in North Central London: using primary care data to establish unmet needs and health inequalities. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2025.10861

DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2025.10861

Cited in: –

[32]other peer reviewed

Ila Marques Porto Linares, Susanna Jernelöv, Renatha El Rafihi‐Ferreira (2025). Cognitive and psychological factors associated with treatment response in <scp>ACT</scp> ‐I and <scp>CBT</scp> ‐I for insomnia. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14473

DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14473

Cited in: –

[33]other peer reviewed

Kaitlin P. Gallo, Johanna Thompson‐Hollands, Donna B. Pincus, David H. Barlow (2012). Anxiety Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118133880.hop208006

DOI: 10.1002/9781118133880.hop208006

Cited in: –

[34]systematic review

Monique L. Smith, Erin Oldenhof, Jamie E. M. Byrne, Ilona M. McNeill, Alexander Sweetman, Petra K. Staiger (2026). Predictors and moderators of treatment outcomes from cognitive behavioural interventions for insomnia in adults: A systematic review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2026.102269

DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2026.102269

Cited in: –

[35]other peer reviewed

Negriff Sonya (2020). ACEs are not equal: Examining the relative impact of household dysfunction versus childhood maltreatment on mental health in adolescence.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112696

DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112696

Cited in: –

[36]other peer reviewed

Qianying Hu, Yingyan Zhong, Jianhua Chen, Rumeng Chen, Enzhao Cong, Yifeng Xu (2025). Mental health literacy as a moderator: association between psychological vulnerability and adolescent anxiety. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1521224

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1521224

Cited in: –

[37]other peer reviewed

Miriam A. Schiele, Borwin Bandelow, David S. Baldwin, Stefano Pini, Katharina Domschke (2020). A neurobiological framework of separation anxiety and related phenotypes. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.01.009

DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.01.009

Cited in: –

[38]other peer reviewed

Charak Ruby, Vang Maria Louison, Shevlin Mark, Ben-Ezra Menachem, Karatzias Thanos, Hyland Philip (2020). Lifetime Interpersonal Victimization Profiles and Mental Health Problems in a Nationally Representative Panel of Trauma-Exposed Adults From the United Kingdom.. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22527

DOI: 10.1002/jts.22527

Cited in: –

[39]meta analysis

Lina Wang, Jing Zhu, Ting Chen (2024). Clown care in the clinical nursing of children: a meta-analysis and systematic review. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1324283

DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1324283

Cited in: –

[40]other peer reviewed

Murphy Anthony, Elbarazi Iffat, Horen Neal, Ismail-Allouche Zeina, Long Toby, McNeill Adam (2025). A person-centered examination of adverse childhood experiences and associated distal health, mental health, and behavioral outcomes in the United Arab Emirates.. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-025-06623-8

DOI: 10.1186/s12888-025-06623-8

Cited in: –

[41]book or historical source

Anat Scher, Judith Harel (2008). Separation and Stranger Anxiety. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-012370877-9.00143-2

DOI: 10.1016/b978-012370877-9.00143-2

Cited in: –

[42]other peer reviewed

Anna Tsiakiri, Konstantinos Tzanas, Despoina Chrisostomidou, Spyridon Plakias, Foteini Christidi, Christos Frantzidis (2026). Person-First or Disease-First? Language Choices in Cancer Communication. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep16040143

DOI: 10.3390/nursrep16040143

Cited in: –

[43]other peer reviewed

Parnes McKenna F, Schwartz Sarah E O (2022). Adverse childhood experiences: Examining latent classes and associations with physical, psychological, and risk-related outcomes in adulthood.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105562

DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105562

Cited in: –

[44]other peer reviewed

Saunders Rob, Nolte Tobias, Osborn Tom G, Delamain Henry, Riedl David, Fonagy Peter (2025). Identifying subgroups of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in adult general hospital attendees: associations with mental and physical health measures.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.024

DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2025.05.024

Cited in: –

[45]observational

Jiang Weiqing, He Yitong, Liu Qianyu, Peng Shuyi, Ni Yanyan, Zhong Xiali (2025). Associations between childhood maltreatment, peripheral immune biomarkers, and psychiatric symptoms in adults: A cohort study of over 138,000 participants.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2024.10.034

DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.10.034

Cited in: –

[46]systematic review

Morin Charles M, Bootzin Richard R, Buysse Daniel J, Edinger Jack D, Espie Colin A, Lichstein Kenneth L (2006). Psychological and behavioral treatment of insomnia:update of the recent evidence (1998-2004).. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/29.11.1398

DOI: 10.1093/sleep/29.11.1398

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[47]other peer reviewed

Lee Haenim, Kim Youngmi, Terry Jasmine (2020). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on mental disorders in young adulthood: Latent classes and community violence exposure.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106039

DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106039

Cited in: –

[48]other peer reviewed

Bartolomé-Valenzuela Marina, Pereda Noemí, Guilera Georgina (2024). Patterns of adverse childhood experiences and associations with lower mental well-being among university students.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106770

DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106770

Cited in: –

[49]observational

Nkwanzi Violet, Bulamba Robert M, Okech David, Carlson Catherine, Kyasanku Emmanuel, Namakula Sylvia (2025). Adverse childhood experiences, re-trafficking vulnerability, and mental health outcomes among women survivors of human trafficking in Kampala, Uganda: A cross-sectional analysis.. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0334419

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0334419

Cited in: –

[50]book or historical source

Vijaya Manicavasagar, Derrick Silove (2020). Characteristics of populations and individuals with adult separation anxiety disorder. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-812554-0.00004-8

DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-812554-0.00004-8

Cited in: –

Explore Parts Dialogue Practice

Beginner content for Parts Dialogue Practice

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★ 4.8

Guided

9 min

One Part: Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Dr Richard Schwartz

★ 4.8

Guided

7 min

Calming Your Parts: IFS Meditation

Dan Roberts

★ 4.8

Guided

11 min

Embodiment: Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Dr Richard Schwartz

★ 4.8

Guided

13 min

Morning IFS Parts Check-In

Jenna Riemersma

★ 4.8

Guided

11 min

Internal Family Systems Meditation

Dr Richard Schwartz

★ 4.8

Guided

10 min

Heart: Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Dr Richard Schwartz

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Parts Dialogue Practice effort level

How hard is Parts Dialogue Practice?

Intense

You turn toward a wounded or protective inner part and actually question it, which makes this emotionally demanding rather than a quiet sit.

Mental Effort

4 / 4

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Emotional Depth

5 / 4

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Physical Intensity

2 / 4

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Prior Knowledge

4 / 4

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For clinicians, researchers, and curious readers

What does a Parts Dialogue Practice session involve?

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What is Parts Dialogue Practice used for?

What does the research say about Parts Dialogue Practice?

Where does Parts Dialogue Practice come from?

Is Parts Dialogue Practice safe?

Who should practise with care?

Emotions may rise faster than expected

Complex trauma, dissociation, or active addiction

How does Parts Dialogue Practice compare to similar techniques?

Other questions readers ask

Is talking to a 'part' of yourself just arguing with yourself?

What exactly is a 'part' in this practice?

Glossary

Part

Self

Exile

Protector

Unblending

Felt sense

Full References

Parts Dialogue Practice Tracks & Video

A Letter To My Beloved Fear

Put Fear, Shame Or Guilt In Its Place

A Love Letter To Shame

The Wolves Within

The Adult Chair Podcast: Healing Trauma

Accessing Your Inner Wisdom - Intuition, Guidance & Clarity

The Adult Chair Podcast: Stories & Assumptions

Introduction to Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Healing Resistance To Rest - Insight Timer Live

How To Deal With Jealousy

The Adult Chair Podcast: Ending Triggers

Choose Love Over Fear: Healing Insecure Attachment

Acute distress or thoughts of self-harm

Inner voices that feel externally real

How to practise safely?

Choose a settled starting point

Start with a less charged part

Keep one foot in the observer seat

Track your body as you go

Build in an exit ramp

Involve a professional when material runs deep

Medical Disclaimer

Does Parts Dialogue Practice actually work, or is it just an idea?

Is there any research behind talking to your inner parts?

Why does turning toward a difficult feeling help instead of making it stronger?

What should I do if strong emotions come up during a session?

Is Parts Dialogue Practice safe to do on my own if I have a trauma history?

How do I start Parts Dialogue Practice by myself?

What's the difference between Parts Dialogue Practice and IFS therapy with a therapist?

What if the part I'm listening to feels like a real external voice?

Affective release

Two-chair technique

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Symbolic processing

Explore Parts Dialogue Practice

One Part: Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Calming Your Parts: IFS Meditation

Embodiment: Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Morning IFS Parts Check-In

Internal Family Systems Meditation

Heart: Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Parts Dialogue Practice effort level

Intense

More Parts Dialogue Practice in Insight Timer

Making Peace With My Past Self

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