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Premise: normal personalities are composed of an "inner family" of semi-independent subselves or parts. Inner-family systems pioneer Dr. Richard Schwartz proposes the term blending to describe one or more agitated sub-selves' infusing (disabling) the wise resident true Self with their current percep-tions, needs, and emotions. When this happens, a blended or split adult or child displays characteristic behaviors like ambivalence, double messages, confusion, trouble focusing, mind-racing, self doubt, abuse, and self-neglect. Blending occurs automatically in stressful situations because the agitated subselves want to survive and avoid or reduce discomfort. They (a) don't know the Self exists, or (b) they do know, but from childhood experience, don't trust the Self to fill their needs well enough. People who aren't aware they've been often ruled by a protective false self assume their blended state is normal. Until accumulated inner pain forces breaking denials and raising their awareness, they're not moti-vated to reduce their blending. Adult unawareness of frequent blending promotes major personal, family, and business problems. Inner-family therapy is an effective way of helping any adult or child (a) learn about their personality subselves, (b) who usually leads them, and (c) intentionally reduce blending and empowering their Self to lead in calm and stressful times. Project 1 and the related guidebook Who's Really Running Your Life? focus on these goals. more detail / slides / Q&A / exercise / example / skeptical? / close |
About Subself "