Today we focus on updating parts - a process that is much more than just telling a part your present day, adult age. There are many reasons why we do the update with protectors, but it's particularly helpful in negotiating a Self-to-part relationship. We describe various scenarios you often face during updating and provide a lot of the language around this, including case material on handling protectors who dismiss the update information and a dominant figuring out protector who "knows" the client's current age. We also differentiate between the kind of updates that are available, highlighting:

· Why the difference in age between the client and their parts matters

· How the chronological age of the client doesn’t equate to Self

· Differences in safety and resources now from in the past

· The passage of time and how by meeting Self, protectors get to have options.

There's going to be a part 2 to this topic in the next episode, which will look indepth at one case example.
Client permission has been obtained for the case material we share.

Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) .
See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In.

Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada.
She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners.
See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further info, resources and Gayle's articles.