lately we've been poking around IFS (internal family systems) therapy on our own, which I can only describe as "a kind of therapy that's about deliberately inducing a kind of median plurality, except they don't use that exact language and have a number of additional ideas added on." we don't think it's for us or for everyone, but we're curious about the ways the concepts in it might overlap with other experiences of plurality, and if there's any stuff there that can be jury-rigged to work among headmates outside of IFS.
there's a book someone put online for free that we're very slowly nibbling on. there's also a few older books by the creator of IFS on the Internet Archive - we might look around and see if we can find the more recent editions elsewhere. interestingly, we also found a very detailed app with a lot of features reminiscent of plural ones, like the ability to list your IFS parts, map the relationships between them, and have conversations with them via a text chat. (you bring all sides of the conversation, but there's also a chatbot of the non-AI/LLM kind that presents a bunch of guided prompts to help spur conversation and connection.) (it looks like they're considering adding an AI/LLM chatbot too, though, which is MEGA YIKES. THEY'D BETTER NOT DO THAT.)
it's been... interesting? there are some things that make me go hmm and some things that make me go HMM. I find their process for finding and connecting with IFS parts interesting but am super yucked out by their concept of Self, which as far as I can tell is this idea that your True Core Self is unconditionally loving and accepting and compassionate. and I vibe neither with the idea of a True Core Self nor with the idea of it being pure and good and perfect in that way, lmao. I have no idea if I'm just reading it unkindly, though, especially since I know I'm not the intended audience for this stuff. but still!
(fallen london stamps by