What Happens When Your Parts Are in Conflict: IFS Therapy in Murray
Have you ever felt like part of you really wanted to do something, while another part was telling you to do the exact opposite? Maybe one side of you is eager to go out and connect with people, but another side just wants to hide under a blanket and be alone. You’re not broken or making things up. What you’re experiencing is actually something that many people go through, and there’s a name for it—Internal Family Systems Therapy, or IFS, helps people work with these inner conflicts in a way that feels safe and validating.
IFS offers a different way to approach your thoughts and emotions by looking at them as separate “parts” of you, each trying to help in its own way. These parts don’t always agree, which can leave you feeling stuck, confused, or drained. If you're living in or around Murray, UT and find yourself dealing with frequent emotional tug-of-wars, IFS might help bring things into balance again.
Understanding IFS Therapy
IFS Therapy starts with the idea that your mind isn’t one single block. Instead, it's made up of distinct parts with their own roles, emotions, and intentions. Some parts might be loud and opinionated, while others are quiet or withdrawn. It’s kind of like a team that doesn’t always work well together, especially under pressure.
Here are the three core types of parts IFS focuses on:
1. Managers: These are the parts that try to keep your day orderly and in control. They might be focused on being productive, avoiding failure, or making sure you don’t get hurt.
2. Firefighters: These parts jump into action when things get stressful or painful. They distract you through things like overworking, scrolling your phone, eating, or zoning out.
3. Exiles: These parts hold deep emotional pain from things that happened in the past. They may carry sadness, fear, shame, or trauma that hasn't been healed yet.
IFS doesn’t try to get rid of any of these parts. Instead, it helps each one feel seen, heard, and respected. A Manager might be working overtime because it worries about failure. A Firefighter may be drowning things out to avoid pain. An Exile might be asking for support but doesn’t know how to speak up. By helping these parts communicate and trust each other, IFS can create more peace inside.
It’s about building relationships within yourself. Rather than trying to shut thoughts down, you’re encouraged to get curious and listen to what each part is saying and why. That shift alone can create more calm and control.
Common Signs of Internal Conflict
Internal conflict isn't always loud or obvious. It can hide in the background of your day and show up as confusion, indecision, or emotional overload. You may not even notice what's going on until you're feeling completely out of sync. Here are some signs to look for:
- You feel completely torn about a decision and keep going back and forth.
- You judge yourself harshly for feeling or acting a certain way.
- You realize that your mood changes often and doesn’t make sense to you.
- You feel burned out from trying to please others or follow rules you never agreed with.
- You’re doing things on autopilot but don’t feel fully present or connected.
Living in a place like Murray, UT can make this even harder. Many people grow up in traditions or environments where certain behaviors are praised while others are frowned upon. So, a part of you might genuinely desire connection with your community, while another part feels exhausted by trying to meet expectations.
IFS gives you a chance to slow all of that down. Once you notice which parts are driving your thoughts or choices, you can begin to understand where things are getting tangled and how to support yourself better.
Benefits of IFS Therapy
IFS Therapy doesn’t just name the problem—it gives you tools to work with it in a calmer and more accepting way. The process of getting to know your parts can lead to unexpected insights and more confidence in how you move through the world.
When your inner parts aren’t constantly battling each other, life becomes easier to manage. Here’s what clients often notice:
- You start recognizing your inner critic as a trying-too-hard Manager, not something cruel.
- You build compassion for your protective behaviors instead of feeling ashamed by them.
- You feel less reactive in tough situations.
- You learn how to separate from overwhelming emotions while still understanding them.
- You begin to feel more whole and clear about who you are.
One person in Murray shared how they had always felt like they shifted between being overly emotional or completely shut down. Through IFS, they learned those shifts were connected to different parts that didn’t trust each other. Over time, they created space for each part to be heard, and that helped them feel more even, grounded, and honest in their relationships.
It’s not about forcing change or fixing yourself. It’s about reconnecting with the parts of you that want healing, support, and a voice.
Finding IFS Therapy in Murray, UT
Getting support from a therapist trained in IFS can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed and finally beginning to understand yourself. If you’re in Murray, UT, and are curious about IFS, there are a few things to ask when reaching out to professionals.
- Have they been formally trained in the IFS model?
- Do they work with people who come from structured or faith-centered communities like many areas in Utah?
- Can they explain parts work in everyday language, not just clinical terms?
- Do they offer trauma-informed care and honor your pace?
IFS sessions don’t typically follow a rigid script. Instead, they invite you to spend time with what’s going on inside. You might explore just one thought or feeling across an entire session. That’s not stalling—that’s building depth and trust with parts of yourself that may never have had someone stop and really listen before.
You don’t need to be in a crisis to benefit from this work. Often, people find that resolving old inner battles frees them up to make more thoughtful decisions and reconnect with what they truly care about.
Make sure to find a therapist who you feel safe with. This work can touch on sensitive memories, long-standing fears, or past wounds. You deserve someone who knows how to hold that space with care.
If the first therapist you meet doesn't feel right, keep looking. This is deeply personal work, and the right fit matters. You shouldn’t have to explain your background from scratch every time. A good therapist will understand that where you live and where you come from play a part in your story.
Embracing Harmony Within
There’s nothing wrong with having mixed emotions or feeling like your head and heart are in a tug-of-war. It might just mean different parts of you are trying to get your attention—and that’s not a bad thing.
IFS Therapy reminds us that all our parts have value, even when they’re in conflict. Creating a relationship with them helps lower the inner noise and bring more understanding of your patterns and choices. That clarity can help you respond to life with more ease.
If you live in Murray, UT, and feel pulled in different directions by faith, family, culture, or your own emotions, you are not alone. IFS can help you create a new kind of relationship with yourself—one that allows for all your parts to exist and be understood.
You deserve to feel like your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors make sense. And with the right support, you can start learning how each part is doing its best to help, even when it feels chaotic. When you listen to those parts with compassion and curiosity, real change can happen.
Feeling torn inside is more common than you might think, especially in a place with diverse pressures like Murray. Internal Family Systems Therapy can be your ally in finding that inner peace. If you're ready to explore this journey of self-discovery, learning more about how IFS therapy in Murray, UT can support your growth is a helpful next step. At Modern Eve Therapy, we're here to help you understand and care for all parts of yourself.