Dan Schnau

Some Mental Health Notes

4/15/2026 · 1 min read

My therapist applies Internal Family Systems as part of her therapy.

At the end of our discussion, we reviewed the process as she describes it.

  1. Be Curious about the part that is causing problems.
  2. Communicate understanding about that part.
  3. Show Appreciation for that part. It is in fact trying to help, just in a maladaptive way.
  4. Negotiate. Find a way to let the part relax its grip on your psyche by giving it some of what it needs.
  5. Reassure this part. Regularly check in with yourself, and see that you haven't broken your negotiated deal.