🕯️What Types of Parts Are There?

In IFS, every part has a purpose, yet they often fall into three broad roles — managers, firefighters, and exiles. These aren’t labels, but patterns of protection and pain that help you understand your system’s dance.

Managers try to keep life predictable. They plan, organize, control, and prevent harm before it happens. Their energy is forward-facing — protecting you by keeping things under control.

Firefighters rush in after pain erupts. They act fast to stop distress — sometimes through distraction, numbing, anger, or impulsive behaviors. They’re not reckless by nature; they’re desperate to douse emotional flames before they consume the system.

Exiles are the tender ones who carry the pain — memories, shame, fear, or grief that once felt too overwhelming. They’re pushed away, not because they’re bad, but because their feelings once felt unbearable.

These roles shift constantly. A manager can become a firefighter under pressure. An exile may carry wisdom once freed from its burden.

IFS helps you meet each type with curiosity, not judgment. Every role makes sense when you understand what it’s protecting.

There are no “bad” parts — only parts trying, in their own ways, to keep you safe.