It's hard to believe, but my daughter’s 13th birthday is coming up (how did that happen!). She wants to rent our local movie theatre for her celebration. This theater is essentially a big room filled with old comfy couches, making it feel like one giant living room.

I've been trying to get my hands on the new Inside Out 2 movie, which I'm incredibly excited about. This film is like a fun, animated demonstration of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) work that I do with my clients.

Have you seen the first movie?

Inside Out is a Pixar film that takes us inside the mind of a young girl named Riley, showing us the personalities, behaviours, and intentions of her emotions. We get to know her emotions as individual characters, each with their own unique traits.

In the new movie, Riley turns 13, and new emotions come into play: anxiety, envy, ennui (boredom/dissatisfaction), and embarrassment—sound familiar to any teenagers you know?

In IFS therapy, we explore your inner world and understand how your different parts (emotions/behaviours) interact. As a practitioner, I help you recognise these parts and guide them to step back when they get out of balance, allowing you to stay grounded in your core Self.

Most of our emotions/parts are protective mechanisms, usually shielding us from past vulnerabilities. A crucial aspect of IFS work is healing these past wounds so that our protective parts can be unburdened.

After over 130 hours of IFS training and using it with my clients daily, you can imagine why I'm so passionate about this cartoon!

Today, I want to share a simple IFS ritual that I use for my own self-check-ins. If you enjoy this, let me know, and I can share a more in-depth IFS experience.

Love to hear your thoughts on the movie when it comes out this month! 😊

Simone