Clinically Thinking Podcast • For Clinicians
Bringing Parts Work into Everyday Clinical Practice
A conversation about taking parts and chairwork out of the textbook and into your next session.
Parts aren’t problems to eliminate. They’re survivors.
The critical, impulsive and shut-down parts of us were never the enemy. They showed up to protect something vulnerable, and they respond to curiosity far better than to shame.
In this conversation with Dr Lisa Chantler on the Clinically Thinking podcast, I talk about how I bring parts and chairwork into everyday clinical practice, drawing on the most useful features of several parts work approaches instead of reinventing the wheel. We cover the parts you meet most often, what happens when a part takes over, and how to work with chronic suicidal ideation by asking what the part is trying to do.
There is also a short live demonstration of how gently parts work can start, even in a first session and without teaching a model.
I also share my own ADHD journey, and how it led me to chairwork and parts work.
Practical enough to try with your next patient.
In this episode
How my ADHD journey led me to chairwork and parts work
What a part is, and why a shared language matters
The parts you meet most often: healthy adult, vulnerable child, critic, coping and protector parts
Why parts emerge: protecting the vulnerable child
Combining the most useful features of several approaches, including the influence of Janina Fisher
Blending, unblending and dual awareness
Neurodivergent parts: the neurotypical advisor and the Foolish Optimist
Bringing parts language into the very first session
Working with chronic suicidal ideation through parts work
Listen to the full episode on your preferred platform.
▶️ Spotify | 🍏 Apple Podcasts | Bridge Consulting Psychologists
Ready to work this way?
I run a two-day, hands-on Parts & Chairwork Psychotherapy training built around live demonstrations and techniques you can use right away. Register your interest to hear about upcoming dates.
About the Podcast
Clinically Thinking is a podcast for clinical psychologists, by clinical psychologists. Since 2020, Dr Lisa Chantler and fellow hosts have interviewed clinical psychologists and academics at the forefront of their fields. The show is sponsored by Bridge Consulting Psychologists.
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