Grief and IFS: Mapping the Terrain

Compassion Heals: An IFS perspective on Bereavement

1. Compassion heals. Bringing compassion to another invites their compassion for their own parts.
   
   
2. The more significant the loss, the more profound the disruption to the system.
   
   
3. The system responses to the loss may be manager led, firefighter driven
   or characterized by erupting exiles.
   
   
4. The protective system may be in disarray and unable to function normally; resulting in
   the client feeling particularly vulnerable.
   
   
5. The protective system may become entrenched because of the perceived threat from or to
   the exiles.
   
   
6. Present loss experiences may trigger parts connected to former loss events seeking
   healing.
   
   
7. Unburdening parts in the loss cluster will facilitate healing and greater resiliency in terms
   of subsequent losses.