An IFS-Informed Exploration of the Wild Mind:

I would love to invite you to an IFS-informed exploration of the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche by Bill Plotkin in a series of 6 online workshops to access more of the archetypes of Self/Soul Energy/Wholeness and to understand the wounded /protector parts that get in the way.

It is time to take another look at ourselves – to re-enliven our sense of what it is to be human, to breathe new life into ancient intuitions of who we are, and to learn again to celebrate, as we once did, our instinctive affinity with the Earth community in which we are rooted.”

Bill Plotkin in Wild Mind

What if we could allow in more compassion, connection, courage, curiousity, clarity and creativity?

I am on a journey to live more and more from within my Self (I often refer to my Core Self as: Soul/Spirit or Divine Essence). In Internal Family Systems (IFS), Richard Schwartz, the founder of IFS, refers to Soul/Spirit as Self or Self Energy with a capital S. We know we are in Self or Self-Energy when we feel compassion, connection, curiousity, clarity, calm, courage, confidence, creativity as well as presence, perspective, patience, persistence, and playfulness. (read more about IFS here).

Self Energy is always here, always present it’s just that we have so many other protective or vulnerable wounded parts of us that adopted many different coping and protective strategies when we were younger to try to keep us safe and run our lives from a place of protection and not from Self or Wholeness.

Questions we will explore…

• When do our parts get triggered and try to run our lives as if they were the CEO’s of our internal systems, rather than letting our Core Self be in charge?
• What if we could release our parts from their negative beliefs and extreme roles of perfectionism, people pleasing, fear of judgement, self doubt, need for certainty, fear of scarcity and desire to numb?
• What if we could find a way to live more in Wholeness, more Self-Energy Aligned?

…the four facets of Self, or the four dimensions of our human wholeness-wait within us, but we might not even know they exist until we discover how to access them, cultivate their powers, and integrate them into our everyday lives

Bill Plotkin in Wild Mind

Are your parts willing to join me on a journey to explore our parts and the qualities of Self-Energy / Wholeness?

Take a moment and tune in to what your parts say to this invitation? If you are like me, you may have excited parts, scared parts, parts that say we have no time and parts sitting on the fence! What does your Core Self say when you get really quiet and listen in? My Self is excited and my parts are keen to be seen and heard.

Deep Parts Wisdom Workshop Series

Workshop Format:

Each 1 hour workshop will have a meditation/visualisation, free movement and intuitive journaling (drawing and /or writing). We will explore the parts that get in the way of Wholeness as well as the archetypes of wholeness for each aspect of the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche. We will use IFS informed practices as well as some of the practices suggested by Bill Plotkin in his Wild Mind book.

The magic of doing this healing work in a group setting is to witness other people’s parts (deeply comforting to know we are not alone in this journey!) and to have our own imperfect, vulnerable and/or protective parts and our Core Self heard, seen, valued and understood.

Workshop Content:

• Introduction / Week 1: Explore an IFS-informed explanation of the IFS model of Self and Protective and Vulnerable Parts and how this relates to the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche, focusing on when we are in Wholeness/Self-Energy. (This is also a stand alone workshop if you are interested in exploring the introduction only).
• Week 2: Explore the healthy archetypes of the North, the Wild One, and the wounded child (exiled) parts that get in the way
• Week 3: Explore the healthy archetypes of the South, the Nurturing and Generative Adult and the Loyal Soldier (manager) parts that get in the way
• Week 4: Explore the healthy archetypes of the East, the Innocent Sage, the Trickster/Fool, and the escapist, numbing, addictive (firefighter) parts that get in the way
• Week 5: Explore the healthy archetypes of the West, the Wanderer, Dreamer, Magician and the unknown shadow parts that can get in the way
• Week 6: Explore how you might use the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche and the IFS-informed lens/practices to engage the healthy archetypes in leading with Self-Energy/Soul to guide your wounded/protective parts in knowing the next right step forward in an issue occurring in your life.

Workshop Details:

Introduction to Deep Parts Wisdom: 1 hour introduction (week 1 of the 6 week course), $20, Thursday 18th May 8:30-9:30am AEST, numbers limited, (potentially an option to join the other 5 weeks if a spot is available for $100).

Deep Parts Wisdom Workshop Series: (an IFS-informed 6 weeks workshop series, 1 hour per week, includes the introduction workshop above)

When: Thursdays 8:30am-9:30am AEST, 6 weeks, starting 18th May and finishing 22nd June.

Where: In the comfort of your own home, on Zoom. (If there is enough interest after this trial group I hope to run more face to face groups – let me know if you are interested!)

Cost: 50% Discount as this first group is a trial: $15 per week, $90 in total, ($60 concession) donation paid to Treesisters or Australian Bush Heritage before group begins.

Numbers Limited: Small group of 6-8 participants, book early

Please register and ask for more information here: saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com

What is needed: A journal with pen and crayons/pastels for writing and drawing, a private, comfortable space for the workshop where you can move freely and comfortably as well as meditate/visualise without interruption.

Recommended Reading: The first chapter of Bill Plotkin’s book which can be found here: http://www.wildmindbook.com/ I recommend reading all of the Wild Mind Book by Bill Plotkin throughout the course as there are great practices for each healthy archetype and each set of wounded/protective parts, more than what we will cover in this course. I also recommend the book No Bad Parts by Dick Schwartz for an overview of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and/or find more information and resources on IFS here. A copy of Brene Brown’s book, Gifts of Imperfection, also gives a great summary of some of the qualities we are hoping to access more of (e.g. compassion, connection, creativity, courage).

Prerequisites: Experience with mindfulness, self-compassion, meditation/visualisation and/or journaling will be useful in this group setting. Please discuss with Sara if you have any questions or you are not sure if this workshop series is right for you. This workshop can be great to complete if you are supported by an IFS-informed therapist/coach, again check with Sara if you are wondering if this workshop is suitable for you.

Please register and ask for more information here: saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com

The next series of Deep Parts Wisdom Workshops will be August – Sept 2023, hopefully face to face and online. Let me know your preferred days/times.

I hope you and your Parts and your Self Energy can join me 🙂

More Information on Wild Mind Map of the Psyche:

I’ve just returned from a SoulCraft Intensive retreat with Animas that I found so deeply enriching and nourishing and one element that we explored there was Bill Plotkin’s Wild Mind Map of the Psyche. I’m curious to explore this map through an IFS-informed lens and set of IFS practices of getting to know the parts that get in the way of wholeness and the archetypes of Wholeness / Self-Energy?

I’m curious for myself and others, what are the parts within that are concerned about what others think and are striving for perfection rather than living from a place of authentic Self and Self-Compassion? What are the parts that want to numb and that fear scarcity/lack rather than living from a place of resilience, gratitude and joy? What are the parts obsessing with the need for certainty and comparison, rather than trusting intuition, faith and creativity? What are the parts hooked on productivity, exhaustion and anxiety rather than play, rest, calm and stillness? What are the parts consumed with self-doubt and being in control rather than engaging in meaningful work and laughter, song and dance?

Wisdom traditions from around the world – including those from which Western cultures emerged – have looked to nature’s seven directions for a model of wholeness…”

Bill Plotkin in Wild Mind

The Nature-Based Map of the Psyche highlights our positive, life-enhancing resources and perspectives and … the accent is on our wholeness and potential magnificence, how we can enhance our personal fulfilment and participation in our more than human world and how we can become fully human…

Bill Plotkin in Wild Mind

How we might combine IFS with the Wild Mind Map of the Psyche?

The IFS approach is to get to know our younger parts with curiousity and compassion and when they feel heard and seen the Self Energy that is always there, never damaged, can begin to emerge spontaneously. Just like how the sun is always there behind a cloudy, stormy day, the Self is always there, even if covered over and long forgotten. I am curious to find out if we explore the parts that get in the way of Wholeness and the healthy archetypes of wholeness in the Wild Mind Map will more of these qualities of Self begin to emerge, be more easily accessed?

… the key to reclaiming our original wholeness is not merely to suppress psychological symptoms…but rather to fully flesh out our multifaceted, wild psyches, committing ourselves to the largest story we are capable of living, serving something bigger than ourselves. We must dare again to dream the impossible and to romance the world, to feel and honor our kinship with all species and habitats, to embrace the troubling wisdom of paradox and to shape ourselves into visionaries with the artistry to revitalize our enchanted and endangered world.”

Bill Plotkin in Wild Mind

More Information on Internal Family Systems (IFS):

The Four Basic Goals of IFS

1. Liberate parts from the roles they’ve been forced into, so they can be who they’re designed to be.

2. Restore trust in the Self and Self-Leadership.

3. Reharmonize the inner system.

4. Become more self-led in your interactions with the world.”

No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz

IFS insights into human nature include the following:

• It is normal for each person to have a number of parts. Having parts doesn’t make us crazy!
• Parts have positive intentions. To protect us, they often take on particular jobs or roles, but sometimes go a bit too far with them
• As well as our parts, we each have a Core Self. That’s who we are at the deepest level
• The Core Self is calm, compassionate, curious, clear-minded, connected, confident, courageous and creative
• IFS refers to a person’s inner world as that person’s “system.”

IFS therapy aims to build the relationship between a person’s Core Self and their parts. The goal of IFS therapy is to become Self-led, ie to reach a point where the Core Self is able to take the lead in actions and communication.

By Susan Gully here

Please register and ask for more information here: saraphillipsnsw@gmail.com