Hi, I’m Brit—a mom, step-mom, divorcee, and trauma survivor. I’m not a licensed therapist, but I write from the heart of lived experience. My journey has been shaped by both brokenness and redemption, and I believe deeply in the possibility of healing. One of my greatest passions is learning how to stop the cycle of generational trauma so it doesn’t continue through my children. Most importantly, I strive to live in the fullness that Christ has for us, and I long to encourage others to find the same freedom.
When I first began exploring my healing journey, I felt fragmented. Different “parts” of me held fear, anger, shame, or deep sadness. Discovering Internal Family Systems (IFS) was life-changing. Internal Family Systems helped me with CPTSD & PTSD and attachment challenges in ways traditional talk therapy never had.
IFS gave me language for what I had always felt—that my inner world was made up of parts, each with its own story and role. Reading Boundaries for Your Soul by Alison Cook and Kimberly Miller deepened that understanding. The book explains how to welcome, not silence, our inner parts, and how to set boundaries with them in loving, gentle ways.
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What Is Internal Family Systems?
Internal Family Systems is a therapeutic approach that views the mind as an inner family. Each part of us carries burdens or protective roles. For those of us with CPTSD & PTSD or attachment wounds, these parts often include protectors that avoid intimacy or exiles carrying deep pain.
Instead of pushing those parts away, IFS encourages compassion. In Boundaries for Your Soul, the authors teach how to notice and even thank those parts, while also creating healthy internal boundaries so they don’t take over. This gave me freedom. I learned I could listen to my inner anger without letting it explode, or comfort my anxious part without letting it control me.
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How Internal Family Systems Helped with CPTSD & PTSD
Living with CPTSD & PTSD often means being triggered by reminders of past trauma. Internal Family Systems helped me pause and notice which part of me was activated. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I learned to step into what IFS calls the “Self”—a calm, wise, compassionate core inside all of us.
From that place, I could comfort the frightened part of me that felt unsafe. I could also talk with the angry part that wanted to lash out. Over time, these parts began to relax. IFS gave me a way to relate to myself with kindness instead of criticism.
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Healing Attachment Wounds with Internal Family Systems
Attachment wounds often make relationships feel unsafe. Through IFS, I realized some of my parts were stuck in old patterns of fearing abandonment or rejection. Boundaries for Your Soul reminded me that I could care for these parts without letting them define my identity.
In therapy, I practiced connecting with my partner and friends while staying grounded in my Self. Slowly, I learned that closeness could feel safe. IFS didn’t erase my attachment struggles overnight, but it gave me tools to build healthier connections.
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Why Internal Family Systems Resonates Spiritually
One thing I love about both IFS and Boundaries for Your Soul is how they connect psychological healing with spiritual growth. As a Christian, I found comfort in seeing how compassion toward my parts reflects God’s compassion toward me. The authors describe it well: “You can welcome your emotions, but you don’t have to be controlled by them.”
This gave me hope. Instead of fighting myself, I learned to walk with my parts in peace.
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Take the Next Step
If you’re living with CPTSD & PTSD or attachment wounds, know that healing is possible. Internal Family Systems helped me find peace within myself, and it can help you too.
Give us a call at 616-949-9550 or contact us online. Don’t walk alone—healing happens in connection.
