Connecting with Parts Between Therapy Sessions: A Gentle Guide to Deepening Inner Healing
- annabellalipson
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Why Connecting with Parts Between Therapy Sessions Deepens Healing and Self-Compassion
As a trauma-informed therapist, one of the most transformative journeys I witness with my clients is their growing relationship with their internal world — the various parts of themselves that hold emotions, beliefs, and memories.
Connecting with parts between therapy sessions isn’t just something we do in the therapy room. It’s a practice that can be nurtured gently throughout your week, helping you build trust, compassion, and understanding toward every part of who you are.
What Do We Mean by “Parts”?
In trauma-informed and IFS (Internal Family Systems) approaches, “parts” are inner voices or subpersonalities that hold their own perspectives, emotions, and protective roles.
One part may feel anxious and alert.
Another might carry guilt, shame, or grief.
Others might push you to overachieve or withdraw.
These parts are not signs of something “wrong” with you. They are adaptive, protective responses to past experiences—especially trauma. Our goal isn’t to get rid of these parts, but to honor and understand them so they can begin to trust your core Self—the calm, curious, compassionate center that is always within you.
Why Connecting with Parts Between Therapy Sessions Matters
Between-session connection helps keep the healing momentum going. When you intentionally spend time with your parts between sessions, you:
Deepen self-awareness and internal communication
Build trust and safety within your system
Reduce emotional reactivity through compassionate listening
Strengthen emotional regulation and resilience
Engaging in connecting with parts between therapy sessions reinforces the safety and insight you’re cultivating in therapy. It helps the work feel continuous, steady, and truly embodied.
How to Start: Cultivating Curiosity and Compassion
You don’t need to make this complicated. Begin small, with gentleness.
Try setting aside just a few minutes a day to tune in to your inner world. You might journal, take a quiet walk, or rest a hand over your heart as you breathe. Let curiosity—not judgment—guide you.
Here are a few ways to begin connecting with parts between therapy sessions:
1. Getting to Know a Part
Try asking gentle, open-ended questions like:
“Is there a part of me that’s needing attention right now?”
“What does this part want me to know?”
“How long has this part been with me?”
“What is this part afraid would happen if it didn’t do its job?”
These reflections help build awareness without pressure. You’re not trying to fix—just to listen.
2. Building Trust and Relationship
Once you’ve identified a part, notice how you tend to respond to it.
“Do I judge or ignore this part?”
“Can I offer it a little compassion?”
“What might this part need to feel safe?”
“Can I thank it for trying to protect me?”
When you meet parts with warmth instead of frustration, they begin to relax and trust your leadership.
3. Inviting Self-Energy
The Self—your grounded, wise core—is what allows true healing to unfold.
You can invite Self-energy by asking:
“Can I bring curiosity without trying to change anything?”
“What happens in my body when I sit with this part?”
“Can I listen without reacting?”
“What would my compassionate Self like to say to this part right now?”
Even a few mindful moments in this space can bring comfort and clarity.
A Note on Safety
For some people, especially those healing from complex trauma, connecting with parts can bring up strong emotions or body sensations. This is normal—and it’s okay to pause.
Try grounding before or after your reflections:
Place both feet firmly on the ground
Hold something comforting, like a warm mug or blanket
Engage your senses (name five things you can see or hear)
Return to slow breathing, with a longer exhale than inhale
If anything feels overwhelming, step back and wait to explore with your therapist. Healing isn’t about forcing—it’s about pacing with compassion.
Common Mistakes and Safer Alternatives
Common Mistake | Safer Alternative |
Forcing connection with resistant parts | Allow the part to stay distant; let it know you’ll check in when it’s ready. |
Trying to “get rid” of a part | Remind yourself: every part has a protective purpose. The goal is understanding, not elimination. |
Over-identifying with a part | Practice grounding; notice, “A part of me feels ___,” instead of “I am ___.” |
Ignoring distress between sessions | Keep a journal of observations to share with your therapist next time. |
About Scarsdale Therapist: Annabella Lipson, LMHC
Annabella Lipson is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling, specializing in trauma-informed care, parts work (IFS), and EMDR therapy.
She helps clients reconnect with their inner world through gentle curiosity and self-compassion—building a sense of safety and understanding from the inside out.
Annabella believes that healing unfolds through awareness, connection, and the courage to meet every part of yourself with kindness.
“I often tell my clients that the most powerful work happens in between sessions — when you begin to truly listen to your parts with compassion.”
PLMHC: Where Healing Feels Safe
At Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling (PLMHC), we provide trauma-informed therapy for children, teens, and adults—in person in Scarsdale/Westchester, NY, and virtually across NY, NJ, CT, and FL.
Whether you’re exploring parts work, EMDR, or relational healing, our therapists will meet you where you are—at your own pace, with compassion and understanding.
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📚 Check out our blogs, where our therapists break down EMDR concepts, trauma education, and practical healing strategies you can start today.
Final Reflection
Healing isn’t just what happens in your therapist’s office—it’s the quiet courage of turning inward between sessions, meeting your parts one by one, and offering them compassion.
Connecting with parts between therapy sessions is how you begin to move from fragmentation toward wholeness, from fear toward safety, and from survival toward peace.
🕊️ Ready to continue your healing journey? Book your Free 15-Minute Consult today!
If you’re in crisis, call 988 (U.S.) or your local emergency number.