The Story of Isis and Nephthys

A Depth Analysis of Ancient Parts Work on the Light and Dark Feminine

Before Internal Family Systems (IFS) became popular, parts work was something often used by analysts in the consulting room. Except they didn’t call it “parts work.” They referred to it as “dream work” or “dream analysis.”

However, despite the difference in terminology, these approaches are roughly similar; thus, highlighting a commonality among all therapeutic approaches that the way to seek wholeness is through integrating different aspects of the Self, which, over time, become disjointed or disowned through our lived experiences.

In IFS, Dr. Dick Schwartz (who has never formally given credit to Jung or other theorists for his ideas) uses terms like “managers”, “firefighters”, and “exiles” to describe these aspects of the Self.

While Jung used terms like “Shadow”, “Persona”, and “Animus/Anima.” Yet these great men were not the first to come up with the notion of parts work. Throughout history, we can see examples of parts work in myths. Like the stories of Goddesses, Isis and Nephthys.