Learn To Facilitate Parts Therapy

FAMILY SYSTEMS TRAINING

Learn the parts-driven paradigm of trauma-focused therapy. Gain practical skills to guide others in a powerful, parts-based approach to emotional healing, clarity, and self-leadership.

Next Cohort: June 15 (now enrolling,$250 discount before May 15)

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TRAINING OVERVIEW:

3 Months, 60 Hours

Live Zoom & Pre-recorded Content

Certification: Parts Therapy Practitioner

Join our live Zoom info call: April 28, 5pm PST

Parts Therapy Training Info Session

Meet our lead facilitator, learn about the curriculum, and get key questions answered. Please sign up to receive the recorded session.

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The Parts Therapy Approach:

The Family Systems Approach is a process of turning inward with curiosity and care, allowing us to witness the different voices, emotions, and patterns that shape our inner world. It helps us recognize the distinct aspects of our experience—thoughts, feelings, impulses—not as problems to fix, but as parts of us with their own perspectives and intentions.

This approach invites us into a different relationship with ourselves and the world around us. Rather than being swept away by strong emotions or stuck in habitual reactions, we learn to have perspective on our own inner world: to pause, listen, notice our parts and enter into a space where choice and clarity are possible.

The healing process of Parts therapy offers a compassionate witness to parts that become protective as a conditioned response to nervous system activation, pain, grief, or trauma. This naturally creates more space inside for self-acceptance and consciousness around the tension our bodies and beings hold. Over time, this practice strengthens our capacity to be present with ourselves in complexity. It gives us tools to understand what’s happening inside, tend to what needs attention, and act in alignment with our deeper values. In this way, Parts Work becomes a foundation for emotional intelligence, self-leadership, and meaningful connection with ourselves and others.

As a modality, Parts therapy is a straightforward, structured process. It offers a reliable map for navigating the challenges of being human. At its heart, it offers the possibility of deep transformation—not by changing who we are, but by bringing nonpathologizing inquiry to help us remember who we’ve always been.

Exiles

Exiles carry the emotional weight of our earliest wounds—experiences of rejection, shame, fear, or loss that felt too much to bear at the time. These parts often become hidden or pushed away, yet they hold powerful feelings and tender beliefs like “I’m not enough,” “I’m unlovable,” or “It’s not safe to be myself.” While these beliefs may not reflect present-day truth, they can continue to shape our sense of self and our relationships. When we meet these vulnerable parts with warmth and curiosity, they begin to share their experiences and release the burdens they’ve been holding. Which can reconnect us with a deeper sense of wholeness.

Managers

Managers proactively protect us by controlling our environment, behavior, and emotions, aiming to prevent pain or vulnerability. They’re often perfectionistic, critical, or anxious, and try to keep exiles safely hidden from conscious awareness. Learning to appreciate and relax managers helps ease internal tension and fosters emotional balance.

Firefighters

Firefighters step in reactively when exiles surface, using impulsive behaviors like substance use, binge eating, excessive spending, or dissociation to numb or distract from intense feelings. Although their methods can be extreme or harmful, firefighters genuinely intend to protect us from overwhelming emotional pain. Healing involves compassionately understanding their intentions and helping them adopt healthier coping strategies.

Meet Your Instructor:

Tisha Shull, LCMHC - IFS Instructor, Lead Trainer

Tisha Mesa Shull, LCMHC (pronounced Tee-sha), is an experienced psychotherapist, clinical trainer, and IFS consultant specializing in complex trauma, anxiety disorders, and mind-body healing. As co-founder of IFS Vermont and an Assistant Trainer for the IFS Institute, Tisha provides advanced training, supervision, and mentorship to clinicians.

She integrates Internal Family Systems (IFS) with somatic therapy and yoga, guiding clinicians and clients toward deeper Self-awareness and embodied healing. Tisha independently facilitates retreats, workshops, and specialized trainings focused on embodying Self-energy, bringing warmth, wisdom, and enthusiasm to all aspects of her professional practice.

Training Overview:

PREREQUISITES:

None

DURATION:

3 Months, 4-5 hours weekly. 60 hours total

COURSE STRUCTURE:

100% Online, self-paced with live Zoom sessions every 2 weeks + small group mentoring session + 2 private Parts Therapy Session.

CERTIFICATION RECEIVED:

Parts Therapy Practitioner

This course consists of two modules designed to help you understand the foundational principles and gain ample supervised experience facilitating in an Parts Therapy framework.

MODULE 1:

Foundations of Parts Work and Inner Leadership

This first module introduces the principles that shape our approach to Parts Work: embodied learning, experiential integration, and compassionate witnessing. Through a blend of movement, mindfulness, journaling, and somatic inquiry, participants are invited to explore their own internal systems while grounding in the core concepts of parts-based healing.

Module 1 Topics:

Brave Space & Inner Orientation: Cultivating safety, curiosity, and intention in our shared and internal spaces.

Multiplicity of Mind: Background and Overview of Parts Work - Recognizing the systemic and relational nature of parts within the psyche and therapeutic applications.
Types of Parts: Understanding Managers, Firefighters, and Exiles through both conceptual understanding and embodied awareness.
Self-Energy in Practice: Experiencing and cultivating the qualities of inner leadership—curiosity, compassion, clarity, calm, and more.
Parts Language and Narrative Reframing: Practice shifting from diagnostic or evaluative language to parts-based, compassionate inquiry that reframes stuck stories and deepens insight.
Mapping & Journaling: Using visual and written exercises to identify parts and build relationship with them: Embracing a non-pathologizing framework that honors every part’s positive intent.
Introduction to Somatic Parts Principles: Tracking sensation, breath, and nervous system cues to identify how parts show up and engage somatically.

MODULE 2:

Applying the Model in Practice

This module focuses on translating the foundational concepts into direct experience. Participants will learn to navigate the internal system through a step-by-step framework and various skill-building techniques.

Module 2 Topics:

Parts Protocol - Learn the core sequence of inner engagement. These steps support deep connection with parts and are at the heart of Parts work
Identifying Trailheads and Target Parts: Develop the skill of how to begin a session - identifying what part is present, activated, or seeking attention—and how to follow that thread with precision and care.
Unblending and Polarization Techniques: Learn how to gently create space between Self and parts, and how to support internal systems when parts are in conflict or competition.
Somatic Parts Work - Engaging with the many voices, emotions, and protective strategies within us not just through thought, but through sensation, breath, posture, and movement. By tuning into the body's wisdom, we learn to recognize when parts are active, how they communicate, and what they need to feel seen, safe, and supported.
Guided Demonstrations and Group Practice: Observe live demos and practice in triads/dyads with facilitated support to apply parts therapy techniques.
Healing Steps and Burdens: learn to identify and tend to the types of burdens that shape our trauma-informed belief systems.

MODULE 3:

Integration, Embodiment, and Next Steps

This final module is designed to help participants bring their learning to life—bridging the gap between conceptual understanding and embodied practice. Through real-time feedback, advanced techniques, and reflection, participants deepen their confidence and presence in parts-based facilitation.

Module 3 Topics:

Practice & Self-Awareness: Practicing advanced techniques like unblending, direct access, and legacy material work within a supportive peer structure. Therapist parts and how to work with them
Real-World Application: Identifying ways to bring parts work into professional and personal life.
Addressing Challenges: Working with stuck systems, skepticism, strong protectors, and emotional intensity.
Next Steps: Resources for continued development, supervision opportunities, and deepening your practice
Closure & Celebration

Training Dates and Times:

There are 6 live group Zoom sessions total (held Saturday, 9am PST or Tuesday, 4 pm PST), all of which you can attend via recordings if necessary. You’ll additionally have weekly supervised triad groups for practice, as well as an option to receive 2 one-on-one Parts therapy sessions with our instructor (optional, additional cost).

2025 Dates:

June 15 - September 15
September 15 - December 15

*If your desired date is sold out, you can enroll to join the waitlist. We often have students switch trainings within the first week, and we reserve these spots for waitlisted students.

Live Session Times - June Cohort:

Opening Intro Session - Monday 23rd June 5pm PST

Friday, June 27 –10 am - 1pm PST / (Live Cohort Session 90 mins and Live Demo #1 90 mins - - there will be a 15 min break between sessions.)
Friday, July 11 – 10 - 1 pm PST
Friday, July 25 – 10 - 1 pm PST
Friday, August 8 –10 - 1 pm PST
Friday, August 22 – 10 - 1 pm PST
Friday, September 5 – 10 - 11:30 am PST/ 1-hour Wrap-Up + Best Practices for IFS

During Module 2, you’ll additionally have one 60-minute practice session each week with a supervised triad group you will be assigned to. These can be scheduled flexibly according to your own schedule.

Training Details:

This specialized, mentor-driven training is designed for practitioners who want to go beyond the basic concepts of Family Systems and apply them in experiential learning and practical application with clients. If you’ve been reading or studying parts work and want to put it into practice in your own life or with clients, this training is for you.

As a practical training, we try to reduce as many unnecessary academic hours as possible, and instead teach through learning. This includes live instructor demonstrations, breakout practice groups, and small group mentoring. This training is ideal for therapists, counselors, coaches, wellness practitioners, and individuals who have foundational knowledge of Family Systems and seek an advanced, hands-on learning experience.

During the training, we strongly encourage all students to receive individual therapy from a Parts therapist, which we can provide.

HIGHLIGHTS:

Mentor-Led Small Groups
Weekly small-group practice sessions form the heart of this training, guided closely by Therapy mentors who offer supportive supervision, feedback, and hands-on skill refinement. You'll actively practice facilitating parts work, gain confidence in helping clients unburden from extreme parts, and grasp the nuances of parts therapy.
Embodiment Focus
Embodiment to us means you live what you share. This training will focus on helping you establish a strong personal relationship to parts work, so what you share with clients flows naturally and authentically from your own lived experience.
One-on-One Therapy Sessions
We encourage all students to receive therapy while taking this training. You’ll have the option to receive two individual therapy sessions with our trainers. These sessions provide a unique opportunity to explore and deepen your own Self-awareness, address internal challenges, and experience firsthand how seasoned therapists facilitate parts work.
Integration-Focused Curriculum
Moving beyond conceptual learning, this training prioritizes immersion and embodiment. Our focus is on equipping you to confidently understand and effectively integrate Parts Therapy interventions into your daily practice.

PRICING & ENROLLMENT

We offer flexible payment plans to make our trainings more accessible to all. All credits from this course go towards our MA in Integrative Psychology.

Option 1: Pay in full

$1,950

$300 Discount

ENROLL NOW

Payment Plan: 3 Months

$750 x 3

$2,250 total