Finding a Part via a Trailhead — Internal Family Systems Therapy

A trailhead is the entry point into work with a part. It is any external or internal stimulus that activates a part: a situation, a person, an emotion, a body sensation, a dream, a repeating behavior. The therapist helps the client notice the activation and uses it as a thread leading to the part that carries a burden. The technique precedes any other work — without a trailhead there is no entry into the system.

Step-by-step guide

Ask the client to recall a recent moment when they felt something intense — anxiety, anger, shame, numbness
Clarify: "Where in the body do you feel it now as you speak about it?"
Ask them to direct attention to that place in the body, or to an image, thought, or feeling
Name it as a part: "This is the part of you that wants attention. Try looking at it with interest"
Move on to the 6F protocol

When to use

At the start of every session — "what are you bringing today?"
When the client describes a conflict situation or a reaction they do not understand
When the client is stuck: "I don't know where to start"
When working with repeating behavior patterns

Key phrases

When you remember that situation with your boss — what do you notice inside right now? Is there something in the body, an image or a feeling?

Follow-up questions

Where in the body do you feel it?

What do you notice when you bring attention there?

That sensation — what would it look like if it had an image?

Alternative phrasings

Just turn your attention inward. What is happening there right now?

Warnings

⚠️ Do not force the search for a trailhead — if the client notices nothing, the very "noticing nothing" is the trailhead
⚠️ Do not interpret the trailhead for the client
⚠️ Do not use the trailhead as a reason to dive straight into the trauma — work with the protectors first

Source: Schwartz R.C. 1995, 2021