Parts Therapy case history

Welcome to the new Parts Therapy group!

I'd like to start a discussion thread with a parts therapy case history, and invite others to share an intersting case history as well. (Questions are also welcome.)

Some years back a woman came to me to quit smoking...whom I'll call Linda (not her real name). She told me that her doctor told her to quit because of healh problems in her lungs.

The part wanting to smoke called itself "Smokey," and its original job was to help Linda enjoy her freedom. The part wanting to quit called itself "Healthy," and its job was to keep Linda healthy.

These two parts argued considerably, and were unable to come to terms of agreement. Finally, Healthy told me that Smokey was: "...an entity that needs to be cast into the Light."

Rather than taking Healthy's word for it, I called out Linda's Higher Power, who asked me to call it "Higher Self." When I asked for words of wisdom for the two parts in conflict, Higher Self told Smokey that it had become a slave to the cigarette, which was the opposite of freedom. Higher Self told Smokey to change its name to Freedom, and remind Linda to smoke ONLY when she consciously chooses to do so: about five or six cigarettes per day. Higher Self then told Healthy to accept Freedom as a valid part of Linda, and cooperate rather than fight.

Smokey shouted out a "Hallelujah!" and accepted the new name of Freedom. Meanwhile, Healthy expressed concern that Linda either had to quit totally or be out of control. Higher Self encouraged to two parts to cooperate together, and they agreed to do so.

When the session ended, Linda told me she felt more at peace than anytime in over a year. Three months later she told me that she was only smoking five or six times daily, and felt that she might go the full distance someday.

The value of parts therapy to resolve inner conflicts sometimes brings surprises!

Roy Hunter, M.S., FAPHP
www.royhunter.com