From an IFS (Internal Family Systems) perspective, this isn’t great advice.
IFS views the mind as a system of parts, somewhat like a family. Parts such as managers and firefighters aren’t enemies to silence; they’re protective adaptations that developed to help us cope with overwhelming experiences, often in childhood. Beneath them are exiled parts that carry pain, shame, fear, or other burdens.
In IFS, every part is assumed to have a positive intention, even when its behavior is unhelpful or self-destructive. The goal is not to tell these parts to “shut up,” but to understand what they’re trying to protect, build a relationship with them, and help them trust the Self—the calm, compassionate, adult center of the person.
Trying to suppress or silence inner voices may provide temporary relief, but it doesn’t address the underlying wounds. Healing comes from curiosity, acceptance, and unburdening the parts that are carrying pain, not from fighting them.
From an IFS (Internal Family Systems) perspective, this isn’t great advice.
IFS views the mind as a system of parts, somewhat like a family. Parts such as managers and firefighters aren’t enemies to silence; they’re protective adaptations that developed to help us cope with overwhelming experiences, often in childhood. Beneath them are exiled parts that carry pain, shame, fear, or other burdens.
In IFS, every part is assumed to have a positive intention, even when its behavior is unhelpful or self-destructive. The goal is not to tell these parts to “shut up,” but to understand what they’re trying to protect, build a relationship with them, and help them trust the Self—the calm, compassionate, adult center of the person.
Trying to suppress or silence inner voices may provide temporary relief, but it doesn’t address the underlying wounds. Healing comes from curiosity, acceptance, and unburdening the parts that are carrying pain, not from fighting them.