What Is Structural Dissociation? The Deeper Reality of Dissociative Parts Work
If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “Part of me wants to move forward, but another part feels stuck,” you’re not alone—and no, you’re not broken. You’re human. And your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do to keep you safe in the face of overwhelming stress.
But when those parts feel intense, confusing, or even at odds with each other, it can leave you wondering: What is going on with me? That’s where understanding Structural Dissociation comes in.
Wait—Parts Work? You Mean Like IFS?
Yes… and no. Let’s talk about it.
You might already be familiar with IFS (Internal Family Systems) — a beautiful, compassionate model that views the inner world as made up of different “parts,” each with its own emotions, thoughts, and roles. IFS teaches us that even the most “difficult” parts are trying to help us survive in some way. And for many people, IFS offers deep healing and reconnection.
But what happens when you’re working with someone (or you are someone) whose trauma maybe runs deeper — who experiences disconnection, time loss, inner voices, or profound inner conflict that feels less like “parts” and more like separate selves? This is where Structural Dissociation enters the room.
So, What Is Structural Dissociation?
Structural Dissociation is a theory rooted in interpersonal neurobiology, trauma research, and attachment science. It says that when someone goes through trauma—especially early, repeated, or severe trauma—their sense of self can fragment into different “dissociative parts.”
These aren’t just roles or moods. These parts are neurobiologically distinct, meaning they’re wired into your brain and body in different ways, usually operating under different memories, emotions, or even states of awareness.
There are typically two main types of parts in this model:
Apparently Normal Parts (ANPs): The part of you that handles daily life — work, relationships, grocery runs, holding-it-all-together mode.
Emotional Parts (EPs): The part of you still holding the pain, fear, or defense responses from trauma — often frozen in time and stuck in survival mode (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn).
Rather than working together like a team, these parts may not even know each other exist. Or they might know… but they don’t trust each other. One wants to forget, the other wants to scream. One numbs out, the other clings to control. Sound familiar?
Why Does This Happen?
When something traumatic happens — especially as a child — your brain does everything it can to protect you. If the pain or fear is too overwhelming to process, your nervous system steps in and says:
“We’re going to tuck this part of you away for now. You don’t have the support to feel this yet.”
…….. That “tucking away” is dissociation.
And over time, if that protection keeps getting triggered — without safety or repair — it creates a kind of inner divide. Not because you’re unstable or “crazy,” but because your brain is so intelligent. It protected you the only way it knew how.
What Does Healing Look Like?
Healing isn’t about “getting rid” of parts. It’s about listening, building trust, and reconnecting what trauma had to fragment. Through therapies like EMDR, parts work, somatic integration, and relational safety, those inner walls begin to soften. The parts that once felt like strangers (or enemies) begin to realize: we’re on the same team.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. You don’t need to push the parts away. You just need someone who can sit with you, witness the complexity, and remind you:
🖤🖤🖤 You are not too much. You are not broken. Your parts make sense.🖤🖤🖤
If this blog stirred something in you—maybe a part that felt seen, or a part that’s terrified you’ll never be understood—take a breath. That response is valid. And healing is possible.
You are wired for connection.
Your brain is trying to protect you.
And you’re not doing it wrong.
-References-
Van der Hart, O., Nijenhuis, E. R. S., & Steele, K. (2006). The haunted self: Structural dissociation and the treatment of chronic traumatization. W. W. Norton & Company.
Steele, K., Boon, S., & Van der Hart, O. (2017). Treating trauma-related dissociation: A practical, integrative approach. W. W. Norton & Company.
Boon, S., Steele, K., & Van der Hart, O. (2011). Coping with trauma-related dissociation: Skills training for patients and therapists. W. W. Norton & Company.
