What if the patterns you feel ashamed of aren't failures—but protectors doing their best to keep you safe?

In this episode of IFS Meditations & Insights, Tim Fortescue invites you into a gentle, compassionate exploration of protector parts through the lens of Internal Family Systems (IFS). Rather than trying to fix, silence, or override these parts, we slow down to understand them. You'll learn the difference between managers and firefighters, why they take on extreme roles, and how curiosity—rather than judgment—can soften even the most entrenched patterns.

Through teaching, reflection, and a personal story, this episode offers a reframe for habits like overworking, people-pleasing, numbing, anger, or constant vigilance. You're invited to ask a different question: What is this part afraid would happen if it stopped? And to discover how Self-led curiosity can create real, lasting change.

If you've ever wondered, "What's wrong with me?"—this episode is for you.

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In this gentle, compassionate meditation, Tim guides listeners through the process of safely connecting with exiles—the young, tender parts of ourselves that carry hurt and have been pushed down or hidden away.

This meditation offers a carefully paced journey to:

• Create a safe, supported space in your body
• Notice and acknowledge protective parts first
• Gently approach younger, wounded parts (exiles) at a pace that feels safe
• Practice presence without fixing or overwhelming
• Build trust with the parts of you that have felt alone

Safety First: Tim emphasizes working with protectors before approaching exiles, honoring any resistance or caution that arises.

No Pressure: There's no requirement to go deep, see clear images, or resolve anything. Simply being present is enough.

Gentle Curiosity: The practice invites you to notice—age, posture, feelings, messages—without judgment or the need to fix.

Sustainable Pacing: You can step back anytime, wrap a part in care, and promise to return. This isn't about pushing through.

• "You're not alone. You're beloved."
• "A drop of Self is enough."
• "Nothing has to be resolved today."

Perfect for anyone new to IFS or those deepening their relationship with their internal system. No previous experience necessary.

When the world feels overwhelming, the instinct is often to reach for certainty—clear answers, clean sides, simple villains. This episode offers a different path. I'm recording while events are still unfolding, exploring how Internal Family Systems helps us stay grounded, compassionate, and awake when lives are lost and narratives harden. Before we form opinions, our bodies react. Before arguments appear, parts show up. IFS invites us to notice what's happening inside—the tightness, the heat, the protective parts—before we take a side. It asks: "What is each part trying to protect me from?" This reflection includes a simple 5-step IFS practice for navigating overwhelming news cycles while staying connected to your humanity. I don't fit neatly anywhere anymore. I belong in the lived, messy middle—where people are more complicated than ideologies and where justice and compassion must walk together. I'm practicing this alongside you.

Find out more at exploreifs.com