ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights that fear, loss and frustration can occur naturally as part of the learning process and need not become barriers to fully embracing IFS. Direct access can take two forms: either the part can be openly invited to converse and respond directly; or the IFS professional who is seeking to get to know a part – and be known by it – will just converse with the part without explicitly asking it for permission or saying to the client that this is what they are doing. The main purpose of direct access is to create a validating, safe relationship with the other person’s/client’s blended part so that in time it becomes willing to give space, i.e., unblend and come into relationship with the Self of the person’s system; to do that the IFS professional will need to access their own Self-energy.
