Kent


<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-.jpg" alt="Lucy Parker Embark Counselling Tunbridge Wells Kent " class="wp-image-119908" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent--800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent--1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent--400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent--768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<p>There’s more than one string to the bow of Lucy Parker, the founder of award-winning studio&nbsp;<a href="https://flowtunbridgewells.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FLOW Yoga</a>&nbsp;in Tunbridge Wells.</p>



<p>Not only has Lucy gained 18 years experience as a yoga, breath-work and meditation teacher – she’s also a trained and qualified counsellor, psychotherapist and coach. Lucy pulled all these talents together and has launched&nbsp;<a href="https://embarkcounselling.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Embark</a>, a Counselling &amp; Coaching service that offers Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and support which can be done face-to-face or in remote Zoom sessions.</p>



<p>Lucy is one of only a handful of IFS therapists currently working in Kent and highly qualified in her field.&nbsp;But what exactly is IFS and how could it help? We asked Lucy to tell us more:</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-internal-family-systems-ifs-mean-and-what-is-it">What does Internal Family Systems (IFS) mean, and what is it?</h2>



<p>IFS therapy offers a way to understand yourself better, to help you make informed decisions, and to support your mental health as you navigate the trials and tribulations of a complex life.&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>A little like the film <em>Inside Out</em> or popular TV show <em>Mr Robot</em>, IFS helps you meet, explore and appreciate all the many separate psychological and emotional parts inside of you that make you who you are.&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>Some parts offer a protective role, and some are wounded from past events. This is your internal family system, a system in which all the parts have evolved over the course of your lifetime with the express intention of keeping you safe, all led by a core Self which is integral to helping you heal.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-greeting.jpg" alt="Lucy Parker Embark Counselling Tunbridge Wells Kent greeting" class="wp-image-119910" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-greeting.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-greeting-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-greeting-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-greeting-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-greeting-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-what-does-ifs-therapy-do">So what does IFS Therapy do?</h2>



<p>When we notice and understand our parts, we can start to explore what they individually want from us and for us, and what concerns they each have.&nbsp;Often, parts disagree with each other and believe their way is the only way forward for the system&#8217;s safety, creating both internal battles and alliances.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>IFS therapy offers a unique way to learn about our inner world and find clarity, perspective, and peace along the way.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-you-explain-the-self-as-the-core">Can you explain the SELF as the core?</h2>



<p>IFS helps us understand that we all possess a central quality called Self that cannot be damaged.&nbsp;Self does not have the same fears and concerns as our parts and so acts like an inner compass helping us navigate our path through life’s twists and turns.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>There are 8 C’s of Self in IFS, these are clarity,&nbsp;confidence, courage, compassion, creativity, connection, calm and&nbsp;curiosity.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-the-aim">What is the aim?</h2>



<p>When we see ourselves in this way, we can reduce the mind games, inner battles and conflicts that can often rule our thought patterns and therefore our lives.&nbsp;We’re no longer driven by our parts and their demands but can listen to them and offer them support through the compassion of Self.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Our struggles, such as anxiety, depression, grief, and low self-esteem, can be soothed, and our parts feel both heard and validated.&nbsp;In time, our inner system becomes more collaborative and integrative and trusts Self to be there as a refuge, come what may.&nbsp;As Founder of IFS, Richard Schwartz, says, in fact it&#8217;s the actual title of his recent book on IFS, there are ’<em>No Bad Parts’</em>.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1500" height="1000" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-therapy.jpg" alt="Lucy Parker Embark Counselling Tunbridge Wells Kent therapy" class="wp-image-119909" srcset="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-therapy.jpg 1500w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-therapy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-therapy-1000x667.jpg 1000w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-therapy-400x267.jpg 400w, https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/kent/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/12/Lucy-Parker-Embark-Counselling-Tunbridge-Wells-Kent-therapy-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-is-it-for">Who is it for?</h2>



<p>Everyone can benefit from IFS therapy, and it’s becoming globally recognised as a valuable tool for maintaining and supporting our long-term health.&nbsp;<strong>&nbsp;</strong></p>



<p>Bessel van der Kolk, author of the globally acclaimed book <em>The Body Keeps the Score</em>, considers IFS to be: &#8216;the treatment method that all clinicians should know to treat clients effectively&#8217;. Other lead therapists in the trauma and mental health world, such as Gabor Mate and Dr Rangan Chatterjee, believe IFS to be a powerful transformational tool in healing trauma and restoring mental health and wellbeing.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-you-explain-the-process">Can you explain the process?</h2>



<p>We’ll be sitting together in a calm, confidential space, either in my therapy room in the centre of Tunbridge Wells, or online via Zoom. Initially, we’ll set the context for our conversation and agree on some desired outcomes for our exploration together.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Slowly, we begin to discover the inner parts of you that are involved in your current conflict or struggle. These might be parts of you who firmly believe in people pleasing, are perfectionists, or feel guilt or shame.&nbsp;Equally, they might be tired parts, depressed parts or ones consumed with anxiety or fear.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>



<p>Once uncovered, we can start to understand these parts better and support them to build trust in the broader system of parts and the compassionate leadership of Self, and so explore your internal family system.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-can-i-expect-from-a-session">What can I expect from a session?</h2>



<p>A healing window of time when you’ll be invited to sit with your many varied thoughts and feelings without judgment or agenda.&nbsp;Each session will be a full hour long and give you the space and time to learn more about yourself and why you feel the way you do.&nbsp;</p>



<p>After the session, you’ll be encouraged to stay curious throughout your week, perhaps by keeping a journal or another record of your inner dialogue and the parts involved in your day-to-day experiences.&nbsp;</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-many-sessions-am-i-likely-to-need">How many sessions am I likely to need?</h2>



<p>This is almost impossible to say as the process unfolds at its own pace, depending on your set of circumstances and how ready you and your scared, or fearful, parts are. There’s an IFS saying: ‘slowly, slowly gets there faster,’ which certainly is my experience when working with clients.&nbsp;</p>



<p>It’s best to start with a free discovery call, which often leads to a single session, so you can see and feel how IFS works for you.&nbsp;After this time, we can decide on a course of weekly sessions, agreeing on around six at a time.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em><a href="https://embarkcounselling.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Embark Counselling</a></em></p>



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