I first met Jamie back in 2010 in Ithaca, NY. I was fresh out of graduate school and took the first art therapy job I could find which happened to be at an eating disorder treatment program. Jamie was the program manager. We quickly got to know each other and became close friends, bonding over shared interests in mental health, yoga, and creativity. In 2012 we both left Ithaca and went our separate ways—Jamie moved to Seattle where she opened her yoga studio, The Grinning Yogi, and I moved to Gainesville, FL where I took a job as an art therapist at an inpatient eating disorder treatment program…

This will probably surprise you because it’s something that goes on behind the scenes but I often really struggle with writing. The reason I write is not because it comes easy but because it challenges me to grow and the process of writing helps me better understand my own mind and integrate and share things I am learning about. Several weeks ago my writing process caused quite a “parts storm” and I used the experience to do some deeper exploration and healing. The experience feels worth sharing with you…a sentiment that is actually a direct result of having unburdened a young part (keep reading to see what I mean).

Last night my 9-year-old had another one of her existential meltdowns that happen on occasion, usually at bedtime. We were lying in bed together and she was saying how she didn’t want to go to bed because she had so many things she wanted to do and I said something about how maybe she would go on some fun adventures in her dreams, and finished with a cheery, “You never know where you might go!” Immediately I saw her expression change as if a storm cloud was passing over her, casting a dark shadow on her face.

Asynchronous development is a phenomenon experienced by gifted children. But what if asynchronous development is actually a something we all experience regardless of age or neurotype? This article explores asynchronous development in the context of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model and how understanding ourselves and our parts in this way can lead to greater self-acceptance, wholeness, and integration.