
10/08/2025
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ฎ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐๐จ๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐, ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ง ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐
I used to see the part of me that turned to food in moments of fear, anxiety, and terror as my enemy, and the one who sabotaged all my best intentions. But through my own journey with Internal Family Systems (IFS), I came to see this โreactive firefighterโ not as a villain, but as a fiercely devoted protector.
In IFS, a reactive firefighter rushes in when emotions (my case, fear, anxiety, terror) threaten to overwhelm the system. Blazing fast to douse the flames of pain with whatever it can find. For me, that โwhateverโ was and sometimes still is, food. My reactive firefighter stepping in, worked... for a while, soothing the extreme anxiety and fear I would experience. But it also ignited battles inside me, clashing with the proactive, controlling parts who were trying to prevent chaos by setting strict rules. This polarization left me exhausted, ashamed, and trapped in cycles of self-sabotage.
Through deep, ongoing inner work, Iโve learned that these parts exist for a reason: they are protectors, shaped by experiences where the system had to survive at all costs. By turning towards them with curiosity and compassion, instead of judgment, I began to hear their fears, their burdens, and their unwavering loyalty.
In IFS therapy, we gently unburden reactive firefighters, releasing them from the impossible job of protecting us through numbing or addiction. When these parts are met with understanding and given new roles that align with our deepest needs, harmony is restored in the system. And in that harmony, the grip of addiction loosens.
As both an IFS therapist and someone who continues to walk this path myself, I guide others through this same tender process. Helping you meet your parts, heal their burdens, and reclaim your freedom.
Your parts are not your enemies, and healing is possible.
If youโre ready to step into a compassionate relationship with yourself and break free from cycles of self-sabotage, Iโd be honoured to walk with you.
๐ฉ DM Sonica 081 773 4477 ๐