ABSTRACT
This chapter offers some basic guidelines for preventing and working with stuckness. It presents case vignettes that illustrate some options for helping a wary internal system take the leap of unblending and common obstacles to unblending: a self-like part in the lead, polarities and a system that's been through extreme trauma. The chapter also presents a case that illustrates being innovative in response to feeling stuck. The internal family systems (IFS) model presents two ways of working with a client's internal system: in-sight and direct access. Painful early experiences evoke powerful emotional and behavioral responses, which can override the child's access to self-energy. When the internal system gets knocked off balance, protectors' belief that safety lies in opposite directions seems to be the balancing act of a burdened system. Creativity may mean accommodating parts of the client who don't respond, being confident that one can do something even when a part declares it's not possible.
