How Parts Work Can Help You Access Creativity and Embodiment (My Tap Dancing Story)

The Innovative Therapist

Episode 99. Sometimes things come into our life and we have no idea what it could do for us. In fact, sometimes we don't even realize we might be missing something until we experience it. That's how restarting dance as an adult was for me. I danced as a kid but never did tap. I got into adult tap dancing as a beginner two years ago. And it's just been the best. There's something magical about dance, or there can be. This episode is all about my journey with tap dancing and how I learned to reclaim dance in a super empowering and healing way. I cover how some of my personal work with my own parts (via the Internal Family Systems method) allowed me to have the most fun experience on stage I've had, probably ever. It's a fun one, so let's dive in! Join Our Upcoming Workshop! Sign up today to join! What to Expect in this Interview In this interview, we cover: 5:18-My personal story of starting adult tap dancing as an adult and how it's impacted me 10:23-What I learned about dance from watching my daughter 12:48-How Internal Family Systems Parts work helped me gain even more joy and embodiment from dancing (including how my positive impression management parts tried to show up to protect me) 17:27-Barriers many people face when it comes to embodiment 20:40-Why finding activities that promote joy and connection is so essential to continue to do meaningful work in the world 21:22-Steps you can take (or encourage your clients to take) to move towards embodiment and healing (this could be related to movement or otherwise) And so much more! “I know I shouldn’t focus on weight loss, but…” (Polarized Parts Alert!) Are you feeling unsure how to guide a client who wants to improve their relationship with food, but also wants to lose weight? We offer this super cool transformational exercise that can help your clients work to understand their polarized parts, build self-trust and listen to their intuition! This free PDF gives step-by-step instructions for doing one of my all-time favorite exercises (based on Internal Family Systems theory) to explore polarized parts. It will help clients get to know the parts of themselves without judgment, understand their intention, and create empowerment and harmony in their bodies. This is hands-down one of the best ways I’ve found to help support client autonomy and build self-trust at the same time. I can’t wait to share it with you! Sign up today to begin this innovative journey! Disclaimer: This blog and podcast is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for individual professional advice or treatment, including medical or mental health advice. It does not constitute a provider-patient relationship.