IFS parts worksheet: a printable page for getting to know a part
One part at a time. A simple two-page worksheet you can print or copy into a notebook, with a filled-in example to show how it works.
In Internal Family Systems (IFS), the model developed by Richard Schwartz, you get to know your parts the way you'd get to know a person: by being curious about what they do, what they're afraid of, and what they want for you. A worksheet gives that curiosity some structure, and it gives you something to come back to when the same part shows up again next week.
If managers, firefighters, exiles, and Self are new terms for you, read the three IFS parts explained first. If you'd rather write freely than fill in a form, IFS journal prompts covers the same ground as a conversation.
How to use it
- Use one sheet per part. Pick the part that's most active right now, or the one behind something you did today.
- Start by noticing, not fixing. The goal is to understand the part, not to make it stop.
- Write the part's answers, not your opinion of them. If a question gets no answer, leave it blank. That's information too.
- Guesses are fine. You don't need to know whether a part is a manager or a firefighter to fill this in.
- Stop if it gets heavy. If strong feelings or painful memories come up, put the pen down, notice your feet on the floor, and come back another day. That's material a licensed IFS therapist can help with.
The worksheet
Section 1: Notice the part
- What do I call this part?
- Where do I notice it? (a body sensation, a voice, an urge, an image)
- When does it usually show up?
- How do I feel toward it right now? If the answer isn't something like curious, open, or calm, another part may be stepping in. Ask that part if it's willing to give you a little room, then check again.
Section 2: Ask the part
- What is your job?
- What are you afraid would happen if you stopped doing it?
- How long have you been doing this for me?
- What do you want for me?
- What do you need from me?
Section 3: Its place in the system
- My best guess at its role: manager / firefighter / not sure yet
- Which other parts does it work with? Which does it clash with?
- Does it seem to be protecting something more tender? (Just note yes, no, or maybe. You don't need to go further than that on your own.)
Section 4: Close
- What do I appreciate about this part?
- One small thing I could do for it this week:
- Date, so I can see how this changes over time:
A filled-in example
Here's how one sheet might look. This is an illustration, not a real person's entry, and your answers will sound different.
Example: "The Planner"
- What I call it: The Planner.
- Where I notice it: A tight forehead and a running to-do list, especially at night.
- When it shows up: Sunday evenings, and before anything with other people involved.
- How I feel toward it: Tired of it, at first. After asking the tired part to give some room, a bit curious.
- Its job: "Making sure nothing catches you off guard."
- What it fears: "If I stop, you'll forget something and everyone will see you as unreliable."
- How long: "Since school."
- What it wants for me: "To feel safe."
- What it needs: "To know you've noticed how hard I work."
- Role: Probably a manager.
- Works with / clashes with: Works with the inner critic. Clashes with the part that wants to scroll on my phone.
- Protecting something tender? Maybe. Leaving that for now.
- What I appreciate: It has kept me organized for a long time.
- One small thing: Write tomorrow's list once on Sunday, then tell the Planner it's handled.
Notice that nothing here is "solved." The writer simply understands this part better than before, and that understanding is often what lets a protector start to ease off over time.
After you've filled in a few
Once you have sheets for two or three parts, lay them side by side. You'll often see patterns: two parts that always clash, or one that steps in right after another. That's the beginning of a parts map. How to map your parts walks through turning these sheets into a simple drawing of your system.
Come back to a sheet when the same part shows up again. Parts often answer differently once they trust that you're listening.
If you'd like to keep a sheet like this for every part without the paper pile, Internal Family Mapping gives each part its own profile and journal on your iPhone, connected on a map you can rearrange.
This guide is for education and self-reflection and isn't a substitute for therapy. If working with a part brings up feelings that are hard to handle, consider reaching out to a licensed IFS therapist. If you're in crisis, contact your local emergency number or a crisis line.