Understanding Addictions Through a Parts Work/ IFS Lens
Many people in Squamish carry more than what shows on the outside. Behind the busyness of work, relationships, and the “play hard” culture of the Sea to Sky, there are often quieter struggles—patterns we can’t quite shift, behaviours we feel ashamed of, and coping strategies that once helped us survive but no longer fit the life we’re trying to build.
Whether it’s hours of screentime, struggling with substance use, or binge drinking (to name a few), these addictive behaviours are often a part of that story. And while it’s tempting to think of these behaviours as failures or flaws, they almost always make sense when seen through a more compassionate lens—especially through the Internal Family Systems (IFS) parts-based perspective.
Why Parts Work Helps Us Understand Addictions (Without Shame)
IFS suggests that we all have different “parts” of ourselves—protective parts, reactive parts, wounded parts, and deeply wise, grounded parts.
In addictions counselling, we often meet:
Parts that use substances to numb or soothe
Parts that feel overwhelmed or unsafe without a coping mechanism
Parts that shut down, avoid, or disconnect
Parts that judge, criticize, or feel ashamed
These behaviours are not signs of weakness. They are signs of protection.
Most substance-related behaviour began as a way to survive overwhelming experiences—trauma, family-of-origin dynamics, high pressure, loneliness, or emotional pain. Some parts learned early on how to reduce intensity quickly, even if the strategy isn’t helpful anymore.
When we bring curiosity instead of shame, we can finally understand:
What is this behaviour trying to protect me from?
How did it help me cope in the past?
What is it afraid might happen if I stop?
This opens the door for change—because understood parts soften, and softened parts are willing to try new things.
Updating Old Strategies With New Skills
Some protective parts are running on old programming—outdated strategies that once worked but no longer match your current support systems, strengths, or goals.
In therapy, we balance deep inner work with practical present-day tools.
We integrate skills from:
DBT (emotion regulation, distress tolerance)
CBT (identifying thoughts and behaviour patterns)
Somatic approaches (noticing what your body is holding)
ACT (identifying values and shifting behaviour toward what matters most)
These tools help stabilize the present—so you don’t feel like you’re white-knuckling your way through change.
Healing the Roots: EMDR and IFS for Trauma & Early Experiences
While skills help with today, deeper trauma healing supports long-term change.
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
Helps uncover and gently heal the parts of you that carry pain, shame, fear, or loneliness—so the protective parts don’t have to work so hard.
EMDR Therapy
Helps reprocess past experiences, memories, or beliefs that keep your nervous system stuck in survival mode.
Together, these approaches support you in shifting:
old emotional wounds
limiting beliefs
triggers
patterns rooted in family-of-origin dynamics
reactions based on past danger, not present reality
They help you feel more present, instead of being run by fear, anxiety, or old coping habits.
ACT: Moving Toward Your Values Instead of Away From Pain
Many people with addictions describe feeling disconnected from who they want to be. ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) helps bridge that gap by exploring:
What matters most to me?
How do I want to show up in relationships?
What kind of life feels like mine?
Instead of trying to eliminate urges, ACT helps shift focus to living from your values, even if uncomfortable emotions still show up.
This can be especially meaningful in Squamish, where many people want a life rooted in:
connection
nature
authenticity
community
adventure
Values become a compass—something stronger and more stable than avoidance or fear.
You Are More Than the Hardest Part of Your Story
When we look at addictive behaviours through a compassionate, parts-based lens, we see something different:
an attempt to cope
a response to overwhelm
a strategy that made sense
a system doing its best to survive
Your protective parts have worked incredibly hard for you. Now they can learn to trust that you’re safer, stronger, and more supported than before. Healing isn’t about fixing what’s wrong—it’s about helping all your parts feel understood, welcome, and updated to your life now.
Counselling Support in Squamish
I offer trauma-informed counselling in Squamish, using:
IFS/parts work
EMDR therapy
Somatic and nervous-system-based approaches
DBT & CBT tools for present-day triggers
ACT and values-based work
These approaches help many people move from survival mode into a more grounded, intentional, and connected way of living.
