Parts Mapping: Meeting Your Defenses

Group Goals

• Increase awareness of personal defense mechanisms.

• Build curiosity and compassion toward these mechanisms.

• Begin to understand the function of defenses, not just their behavior.

• Foster a sense of choice and self-leadership (i.e., “I can appreciate this defense and also decide how I want to respond”).

Session Flow (75–90 minutes)

1. Opening Grounding & Framing (10–15 mins)

Prompt: “What if your defense mechanisms weren’t flaws, but inner guardians doing their best to protect you from pain?”

• Grounding visualization (5 min):

• Invite participants to imagine their “inner world” as a landscape (city, forest, house, galaxy—whatever comes).

• Ask: “Is there anyone or anything that seems to be guarding the gates? Watching from the trees? Standing on alert?”

• Light psychoeducation:

• Brief intro to parts work / IFS (casual tone): “In this model, we all have parts. Some are vulnerable, some are wounded, and some step up to protect us. These protective parts often look like what we call defense mechanisms.”

• Emphasize: no bad parts. Just misunderstood ones.

2. Creative Mapping Activity (30–40 mins)

Supplies:

• Large paper (11x17 if possible)

• Markers, pens, pencils, crayons, collage materials (magazines, glue, scissors)

• Optional: printed “parts questions” handouts

Prompt:
 “Pick one of your defense mechanisms. Imagine it as a part of you that has shape, voice, history, style. Create a map or portrait of this part. It can be symbolic, abstract, literal—whatever feels right.”

Suggested questions (for drawing/journaling):

• What does this part look like? (Creature, person, object, force, etc.)

• When did it first show up in your life?

• What is it afraid would happen if it didn’t show up?

• What does it want from you?

• What other parts or feelings is it trying to protect?

• What would help it relax?

Variation: Do a mini family constellation: map 3–5 parts, focusing on how defensive parts relate to vulnerable/exiled ones.

3. Sharing & Reflection (20–25 mins)

• Invite volunteers to share their maps (normalize passing).
  
  

• Group reflection questions:
  

• “What surprised you as you created your map?”

• “Did the defense feel less scary or rigid once it had an image or voice?”

• “How does it feel to look at this part with compassion rather than criticism?”

• “What would your Self—your calm, curious core—want to say to this part?”

4. Closing Ritual (10–15 mins)

Options:

• Letter to the Part (brief writing prompt):
   “Dear [part name], thank you for… I see that you… I want you to know…”

• Group Check-Out: One word or sentence from the part’s perspective (e.g., “I’m Anxiety, and I just want to know we’re safe now.”)

• Affirmation:
   “All of our parts are welcome. Even the ones that make us cringe. Especially the ones that are just trying to help in clumsy ways.”

Optional Follow-Up Ideas

Session 2: Negotiating with Defenses

• Revisit the maps.

• Dialogue between Self and the defense.

• Update the job description: what could this part do instead of constant guarding?

Session 3: Parts in Relationship

• How do defenses impact relationships?

• What are the costs and benefits?

• Role-play: How does the defense speak in conflict? In intimacy?

Clinical Considerations

• Population fit: Adults/older teens in IOP/PHP, trauma-informed groups, creative processing, or personal growth.

• Trauma-sensitive tip: Defensive parts may touch on exiled parts—hold Self-energy (curiosity, calm, compassion) and provide space.

Optional co-leader: Someone to regulate the room and support participants who go deep.