Locate IFS parts in the body — Somatic IFS bridge
Tap the body where a part is showing up. Give it a name, a role, and the sensation.
Tap the body to place a part
Manager · 0Firefighter · 0Exile · 0Self-like · 0
Tap a spot on the body where a part is showing up.
Somatic IFS — mapping parts in the body
Somatic IFS (Susan McConnell) extends Internal Family Systems into the body: each protector, exile, and Self-like part has a sensation signature and a body home. This tool lets you tap a body silhouette to place each part where it shows up, name it, tag role, age, what it carries, and what it needs from Self — and track Self-energy before and after.
Pair it with the rest of the IFS + somatic toolkit
- Parts Mapper — the conceptual-space version for protector / exile mapping.
- Somatic Tracker — between-session sensation log clients can fill from the portal.
- Self-Energy Practices — eight short practices for accessing Self before parts work.
- Printable IFS parts map worksheet — for clients who prefer paper.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Somatic IFS?
- Somatic IFS (Susan McConnell) integrates Internal Family Systems with body-based work — locating each part where it shows up in the body, tracking its sensation signature, and unblending through the felt-sense rather than only through dialogue. Parts often have a clear body home (e.g., the protector in the chest, the exile in the belly), and meeting them there deepens the work.
- How is a somatic parts map different from a regular IFS parts map?
- A regular parts map places parts in conceptual space around the Self. A somatic parts map places them on a body silhouette — where the sensation actually lives — with tags for sensation quality, age, what the part carries, and what it needs from Self. The body is the canvas instead of empty space.
- When would I use this in session?
- When a client says 'I just feel it here' and points, or when an unblending stalls because the part can't be reached through cognition alone. Mapping where each part lives in the body gives the client and the therapist a shared felt map — especially powerful for trauma, attachment work, and chronic pain.
- Do I need training in both IFS and somatic therapies?
- Familiarity with both is ideal. Clinicians trained in IFS can use this as their somatic on-ramp; clinicians trained in Somatic Experiencing or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy can use it as their IFS bridge. The tool follows standard Somatic IFS language.