Why Do I Self-Sabotage? The Truth About Protector Parts

What if the part of you that you hate the most — the inner critic, the wall-builder, the people-pleaser — is actually trying to protect you?

In this episode of the Heart Set Above Podcast, Ellen Radcliff, LMFT, dives deeper into Internal Family Systems (IFS) by exploring protector parts: what they are, why they form, and how to engage them with curiosity instead of frustration or shame.

You'll learn why almost all IFS work begins with protector parts — and why fighting, ignoring, or shaming these parts never leads to lasting change.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why protector parts often look like "bad parts" but are actually misguided good parts

• The "8 C's" of your core self — calm, curiosity, compassion, clarity, confidence, courage, creativity, connectedness

• How to recognize when another protector part has "entered the room"

• How inviting God into this process changes everything

Catch up on the series:

📌 Episode 1: https://youtu.be/F5X-0AYK9c8?si=G1kXhMVxog1zo9jF

📌 Episode 2: https://youtu.be/wRX99Jk9F0c?si=kWKMvzB8bfUujLBu

Whether you're exploring Internal Family Systems therapy, Christian counseling, or just trying to understand your own reactions and inner conflict — this episode will give you language and compassion for what's happening inside you.

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Connect with Ellen

https://heartsetabove.com/

https://linktr.ee/ellenradcliff

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Listen to the Podcast:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast...

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Ra0vlh...

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