Parts Work for increasing our Nervous System Capacity

Our Nervous System Capacity (NSC) is the amount of tolerance we have for holding (emotional) discomfort and also how quickly and strongly we might find ourselves in a dysregulated state and how fast we can come back into homeostasis (meaning into Nervous System Regulation.)

Our NSC is heavily influenced by our family and upbringing, some trauma we might have experienced, societal conditioning and inter-generational trauma.

These experiences are felt through somatics in the body – and if not properly processed and tended to can become stuck in the body.

Trauma is stored in the body.

Trauma lowers our Nervous System Capacity and we sense threat where there might not be any, we have an over-reaction to something not that dangerous or we go into shut-down/freeze and dissociate (these are all valid protection mechanisms.) And it disconnects us from ourSelf – our inner compass, our wise guide inside, our inner healer or in IFS-terms: our Self. Instead, our lives are run by parts that are wounded or parts that are rigidly trying to protect the vulnerable parts within us.

And this is where Parts Work steps in.

Parts Work acknowledges the human psyche as an ecological system rather than a singularity (one personality perspective). It is normal to have different personalities (parts) present in the psyche of one human being and they are in relationship with one and another. This means we can access the parts within us that are driving these protection mechanisms through Parts Work.

Instead of trying to override them with Nervous System Regulation tools (which can make them feel more unsafe), we can learn to actually hold space for the parts within us that are scared and dysregulated.

We build trust with those parts within us. We make them feel heard, seen, understood, validated, cared for, loved and safe. THIS is in turn makes them feel like they are finally able to come home. Home to ourSelf.

I find this is a more holistic approach to regulating your Nervous System because we address the concerns of our protectors and of the wounded parts within us and integrate and heal them.

This changes the entire relationship we have with ourselves (it is a self-love practice) and widens our Nervous System Capacity.