{"id":21210,"date":"2024-05-07T11:09:01","date_gmt":"2024-05-07T10:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/?p=21210"},"modified":"2026-05-21T18:53:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T17:53:24","slug":"how-to-work-with-subpersonalities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethsorensen.dk\/en\/how-to-work-with-subpersonalities\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Work With Subpersonalities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The angry one. The pleaser. The critic at three in the morning. Assagioli’s working manual for working with subpersonalities – how to find them, name them with humour, listen to what they actually need, and bring them into dialogue with the Self<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

By Roberto Assagioli<\/strong>
Extract from the Opening Address to the International Conference on Psychosynthesis<\/em>, Val Morin, Quebec, August 1973, delivered by Fred Rosenzveig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Editorial Note<\/strong>
The abstract and contextual subtitle in this online edition have been added by the editor, Kenneth Sorensen, to support readability, navigation, and archival consistency. The original wording has not been altered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In this 1973 conference address, Roberto Assagioli sets out a practical working method for identifying and engaging the subpersonalities that live inside us. He moves through autobiographical questions about family, sibling, and developmental relationships, the techniques for becoming aware of subpersonalities (review exercises, mental imagery, addressing an inner Sage), the questions to ask each one (its needs, drives, body posture, the role it plays), and dialogue methods between the subpersonalities and the Self \u2014 letters, spoken dialogue, role-playing across two seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Relationship With Family<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What kind of people were your parents or the people who raised you? If you were raised in a non-orthodox family, describe the significant adults of both sexes in your life. If you were not raised by your natural parents, describe the fantasies you had about the missing parent(s). Give a character sketch of each parent (or parental substitute) as you perceived him or her at various stages of your life: early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, and the present time. Also describe yourself as you believe each parent perceived you at different stages. Did your relationship with your parents change as you grew older?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you see as the major strengths and weaknesses of your mother and of your father (or of the male and female parent substitutes in your life)? How are these reflected in you, including both the positive and negative qualities? Remember that we often reflect the qualities of our parents by our rebellion against them, by our attempt to cultivate and express the opposite qualities. It may help you to get in touch with this material to imagine (even if you do not remember the actual happening) your mother criticizing your father and your father criticizing your mother. How did you feel as a child when your parents were in conflict? Did you take sides? Do you see the situation differently today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What roles did you play in your family and did these change as you grew older? Did you feel that you were \u201ccast\u201d to play a certain role in the family and expected to do this? If so, how did the family convey its expectations to you? Did you act out these expectations or rebel against them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a drawing of your family group as you experienced it 1. in early childhood; 2. in middle childhood; and 3. in adolescence. Make a fourth drawing expressing the way you experience your relationship to your family of origin today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relationships With Other Key Figures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Describe any other significant relationships you have had with people: e.g. brothers and sisters, teachers, friends, enemies, lovers, spouses, your own children, business partners. Indicate only those which have marked you significantly or which you feel have reflected important aspects of your personality. If you are familiar with the concept of subpersonalities<\/a>, indicate those which you believe were manifesting in these different relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make a drawing of your relationship with each of these persons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your General Development<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What kind of person were you at different stages in your life? How have you changed? Did others perceive you in the same way you perceived yourself? What kinds of masks did you wear for the world? How did you distort yourself in order to be accepted by others or to defend yourself against others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make drawings to illustrate all of these points. Draw a \u201clifeline\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you resolve your psychosexual identity? How have you felt about being male or female, and has your attitude changed on this? What do you like and dislike about the sex you were born with? What would you dislike or prefer about being of the opposite sex? In what ways do you feel that you are masculine and feminine?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describe any developmental crises or turning points in your life which were the occasion of a shift in attitude or in level of consciousness. Frequently such events are experienced as a \u201ctrial\u201d or \u201cinitiation\u201d and may take the form of a crisis or test of strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What recurrent patterns do you notice in your life? Are there particular conflicts that you have acted out repeatedly in different situations? Are there certain lessons that you seem to have been learning through your life experience?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specific Questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What is your earliest memory<\/a>? It does not matter if this is an actual memory or an imagined one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Describe any recurrent childhood dreams<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indicate any traumatic events in your life: e.g. illness, accident, death, separation, violence, sexual abuse, etc. How did these affect you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n