Alters and Systems

This video builds on the previous overview of system parts by breaking down emotional parts (EPs) into seven common subtypes. Each type—fight, flight, fear, shame, needy, perpetrator-imitating, and helper—developed to protect the system in different ways. Understanding these categories can make your system feel less confusing and open the door to greater self-compassion.

This video introduces the Structural Dissociation model as a beginner-friendly way to understand your system. All alters fit into one of two categories: everyday life alters who manage daily living, and emotional parts who hold trauma defenses. Using this model can make a confusing system feel more understandable and less overwhelming.

Protector parts sometimes imitate abusers—not because they want to hurt you, but because they’re stuck in the past and still trying to keep you safe. This video explains why protector parts double down on meanness, how their perspective differs from yours as an adult, and how you can begin showing them new ways to help.

Why do persecutor parts act like abusers? Often, they are scanning for anything that might trigger an abuser’s anger—or pushing you to behave in ways that minimized punishment in the past. This video explores these protective motivations and invites you to see persecutor parts with new understanding.

https://youtu.be/Xe6bbgafgms In this series, I’ve been sharing different ways perpetrator-imitating alters may be attempting to help even though you may not be experiencing it as helpful. Today, I want to…

https://youtu.be/c8oIZR8JMi8 I recently talked about some important reasons members of your system might be angry with you. You might think “so what?” if they are angry. That’s what I want…

https://youtu.be/3_M1vtM9qKY The vast majority of people who have DID had childhoods full of horrific and inescapable trauma. For these children safety just didn’t exist or it was fleeting and temporary.…