Your teenager already feels more than one thing at once. This gives them a way to understand it.
One part of them wants to put a hand up in class. Another keeps them quiet. One part pushes them to get everything right; another wants to stay in bed all Saturday. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a way of making sense of all of it — every one of those parts is doing a job, each one is worth listening to, and underneath them all is a calm, curious Self that can lead.
Parts of Me is a 208-page guide and workbook that introduces IFS to readers aged 12 to 18, in plain language and at their own pace.
Inside, across 23 short chapters:
- How to meet your inner team — naming your parts and learning what each one needs
- How feelings connect to the parts behind them
- Self energy, the 8 C's and the 5 P's — the qualities that bring your inner world into balance
- Practical ways to work with a part when it speaks loudly
- How to welcome back the parts that have been hidden away
- Drawing, journaling and reflective prompts throughout, so the reader works with their own inner world rather than reading about someone else's
Written for:
- Teens who want to understand what goes on inside them
- Parents looking for a shared language for talking about feelings
- Therapists and counsellors who want an IFS resource to put in a young client's hands
- Adults meeting IFS for the first time who want an approachable place to begin
Calandra Balfour holds a BSc in neuroscience and practises as an IFS-informed, trauma-informed emotional wellbeing therapist, working with children, teenagers, adults and couples.
Every part is welcome here. Parts of Me helps a young reader meet all of them.
Calandra Balfour is a seasoned wellness expert with a BSc in neuroscience. As an accredited coach, qualified NLP practitioner, and egistered yoga instructor, her expertise spans various dimensions of holistic wellness.
She practices as an IFS-informed, trauma-informed emotional wellbeing therapist. In this role, she assists clients in replacing unproductive behavioural patterns, in a nurturing, compassionate, reassuring, and encouraging space. She offers global online services, catering to children, adults, and couples. Calandra specialises in IFS, the Nervous System, Addiction, Relationships, and Children's therapy.Outside of her therapeutic practice, Calandra is a prolific speaker, hosting talks and workshops worldwide, and has launched a mental health wellness app for young people based on her book Parts Of Me.
A South London (England) native, she resides in Brighton. Embracing her spirited connection with the sea, she fondly acknowledges her "mermaid part", ensuring she swims in the sea daily.
