This blog is a more technical than usual and aimed at IFS therapists. In IFS a part is “blended” with someone when they ARE the part as opposed to being in Self. This could mean that they feel the part’s emotions, they hold its beliefs, or their behavior in the world comes from this part. Recently I have realized that these represent three different modes of blending, and that a part may only be blended with someone in one or two of these ways. Furthermore, someone can be blended with two parts at the same time using two different modes.

The three modes of blending are as follows:
1. A person is feeling the part’s emotions to such an extent that they don’t feel much else. For example, a sad part takes them over so that they are flooded with sadness.
2. A person is identified with the part, in that they hold its beliefs and see the world from its perspective. For example, a man is blended with a paranoid part that believes that people are out to hurt him.
3. A person’s actions derive from a part. For example, because a woman is blended with a judgmental part, she makes contemptuous comments to people. Read the rest of this entry »