Janina Fisher and parts in trauma: staying mindful of our parts

After complex trauma, the mind sometimes functions not as a unified whole but as insufficiently integrated parts. This is how the theory of structural dissociation describes it.

🧩 In this theory, one part carries on with everyday life: going to work, running the household. Another remains stuck in the traumatic experience, responding defensively or with an attachment cry even after the danger has passed. One of the things that keeps these parts separate is the person's avoidance of their own inner world. In her book published by Routledge in 2017, Janina Fisher calls this internal self-alienation and sees healing as a change in one's relationship with these parts. According to Fisher, these reactions are defensive responses left behind by overwhelming events, often persisting for decades.

🔬 The findings are mixed and should be interpreted honestly. A meta-analysis of 25 studies found a moderate association between shame and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (r = 0.49); this is an association, not cause and effect. Internal Family Systems (IFS), a parts-based therapy, views the mind as a system of internal parts. Group IFS therapy showed promise in a small uncontrolled study, but did not outperform an active control in a randomized trial involving 60 patients. Mindfulness-based interventions reduced PTSD symptoms across 18 studies (g = 0.44, an effect approaching moderate magnitude); however, adverse effects were more frequent among people with childhood trauma. In other words, staying mindful may help, but the dose matters.

🌿 A roadmap: distinguish between "I am worthless" and "a part of me feels worthless." Recognize the reaction without judging it; it may once have protected you. Keep one foot in the present as you approach the memory. Stop if you feel disconnected or overwhelmed. Treatment is phase-oriented, with stabilization coming first; work with a clinician who specializes in trauma.

This content does not constitute diagnostic or treatment advice.

References:
Steele ve ark. (2005), J Trauma Dissociation
Fisher (2017), Attachment
López-Castro ve ark. (2019), J Trauma Stress
Comeau ve ark. (2024), Psychol Trauma
Joss ve ark. (2026), Psychol Trauma
Joss ve ark. (2026), Sci Rep
Hopwood ve Schutte (2017), Clin Psychol Rev
Britton ve ark. (2021), Clin Psychol Sci
Canby ve ark. (2025), PLoS ONE

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