How Parts Work Can Help You and Your Students Understand Stress and Anxiety

April is Stress Awareness Month — a time to pause, reflect, and ask deeper questions about the mental and emotional burdens we carry. Stress and anxiety are often treated like surface-level problems. We're encouraged to breathe, take breaks or go for a walk. These are helpful, no doubt, but what if our stress isn’t just about a packed schedule or too many emails? What if it's trying to tell us something deeper?

That’s where parts work comes in.

What is Parts Work?

Parts work, also known as Internal Family Systems (IFS), is a therapeutic model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz. It views the mind as a system of distinct “parts” — each with its own role, voice, and motivation.

In Summary, Schwartz explains:

We all have parts — sub-personalities — that interact inside of us in the same way that people interact. Every part has a good intention, even if its impact is harmful.

You might already recognize some of your parts:

• The Perfectionist who pushes you to work harder.
  
  
• The Inner Critic, who questions your worth.
  
  
• The Worrier who anticipates every worst-case scenario.
  
  
• The Numb One who zones out when things feel too overwhelming.
  
  

These parts often develop in childhood or during difficult times to help us survive. But as we grow, some of these strategies can become outdated — and even create more stress and anxiety in the present.

Stress as a Messenger, Not the Enemy

When we feel anxious, our first instinct is often to suppress it. But parts work invites us to get curious instead of reactive. Instead of asking, “How do I get rid of this stress?” we ask, “Which part of me is feeling stressed — and why?”

That shift can be transformative.

Maybe your anxiety is the voice of a part that’s terrified of failing because it still remembers being shamed for mistakes. Maybe your stress is a protector part that believes rest equals danger because you’ve had to hustle to survive.

When you can separate from your parts and listen to them with compassion, you’ll find that even the most extreme parts of you are trying to help.

It’s important to approach these pieces of yourselves from a place of curiosity rather than judgment. It can be easy to be frustrated or even angry with a part that often ends up making you feel worse in the moment. It’s completely understandable to be frustrated with these parts, but the key to real healing comes when we engage them with compassion rather than hostility. If you start from the assumption that this part is trying to protect you, how does that change how you’re relating to that critical voice in your head? What does that part of you need in order to relax and trust?

A Gentle Guide to Exploring Your Inner System

Here are a few steps to help you get started:

1. Notice Without Judgment
    
   When stress arises, pause and ask: What part of me is activated right now? Try to sense how it feels — where it lives in your body, what it’s saying, and how long it’s been there.
2. Get Curious
    
   Ask that part: What are you afraid would happen if you didn’t step in right now? What are you trying to protect me from?
3. Offer Compassion
    
   Many stressed-out parts are younger versions of ourselves still stuck in survival mode. When you approach them with care, they often begin to relax. They just want to be seen and heard.
4. Invite Connection
    
   IFS teaches that we all have a core Self — calm, curious, compassionate — that can lead and heal. By connecting with this Self and building relationships with our parts, healing becomes possible.
5. Seek Regulation

When we touch into parts that are younger, stuck in survival mode, or are otherwise wounded, sometimes it can bring up a lot of challenging emotions and reactions. If you find yourself getting dysregulated, reach for a coping resource that you know works well for you. Consider trying out using your own nervous system as a resource – when you start feeling overwhelmed, take one hand and cup your forehead, then take the other and cup the base of your skull, with your index finger resting right below your occipital bone, near your brain stem. Notice any changes in breathing, in body tension, or in energy flow in your body. Sit with it, and allow yourself the space to experience this part of you fully. Can you stay with this part longer if you give yourself the support you need in this moment?

Using Parts Work with Students

Parts Work can be a powerful tool to help students make sense of their inner world. Instead of labeling behaviors as “good” or “bad,” it invites them to explore the different parts of themselves with curiosity and compassion.

For example:

• Is there a part of them that wants to make friends—and another that’s afraid of being rejected?
  
  
• A part that wants to pay attention in class—and a part that gets angry when they feel controlled?
  
  

These inner conflicts are common and deeply human. When students begin to name and understand their parts, they gain language for their emotions and behavior—and that opens the door to real growth.

You might try having students “map out” their parts through drawing or journaling. Then, guide them in asking:

• What is this part trying to protect?
  
  
• What does it need in order to feel safe or heard?
  
  
• How can I meet that need in a way that supports me and others?
  
  

For example:

• The part that fears rejection may need reassurance that they are enough as they are.
  
  
• The angry part might need to feel a sense of autonomy and respect.
  
  

When students learn that every part has a purpose, they begin to feel less shame and more agency. It’s not about erasing difficult feelings—it’s about helping each part find a healthier way to be heard.

This Stress Awareness Month, Go Deeper

Stress doesn’t always need to be “fixed” — it needs to be understood. By turning inward and befriending the parts of us that carry anxiety, overwhelm, or fear, we create space for healing and clarity.

So this month, instead of just pushing through, try getting quiet and listening to what your stress is trying to tell you. You might just meet a younger version of yourself who’s been waiting for you all along.

If you or your students need extra support, Care Solace can help. We connect individuals to therapists who are matched to their unique needs, whether you're looking for someone who specializes in anxiety, trauma, or approaches like IFS (Internal Family Systems).

You don’t have to navigate it alone. Let us know what you’re looking for, and we’ll guide you to the right care.

Concepts and excerpts adapted from the Internal Family Systems model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, including insights from his books No Bad Parts (2021) and Internal Family Systems Therapy (2nd ed., 2019).