Welcoming Every Part

This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival...Welcome and entertain them all. — Rumi

There’s something timeless and disarming about Rumi’s poem The Guest House. It names a deep truth that often goes unspoken: that being human means contending with an ever-changing flow of emotions, memories, and inner responses. Joy, fear, grief, shame, hope — each one shows up like a visitor at the door. Some are easy to greet. Others, we’d rather pretend aren't there. But what if, as Rumi suggests, we welcomed them all?

This is exactly what we do in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy: welcome every part.

We recognize that our inner world is made up of many parts — each with its own voice, history, and role. Some parts protect, some carry pain, and some long to be seen and heard. None of them are bad. In fact, all of them are trying to help in the best way they know how.

IFS invites us to meet each of these parts not with judgment, but with curiosity and compassion. Just like the poem says: “Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”

A New Offering: Psychotherapy at Ancient Sage

As someone whose life has been deeply transformed by IFS, I’m thrilled to announce that I’m now offering psychotherapy through Ancient Sage as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MA, MFTC) in the state of Colorado.

I provide therapy for individuals, couples, and families navigating anxiety, relational dynamics, trauma, identity exploration, life transitions, and more. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply curious about your inner world, I offer a supportive space to explore and heal.

📍 In-person sessions available in Longmont, Colorado

💻 Telehealth available anywhere in Colorado

If you're a therapist, friend, or colleague who knows someone seeking a grounded, IFS-trained therapist, I would be grateful for your referrals.

👉 Learn more or make a referral at: www.ancient-sage.com

Still Offering IFS Coaching (Worldwide)

Alongside psychotherapy, I continue to offer IFS coaching for therapists and helping professionals around the world. Coaching provides a dedicated space for your own parts work and self-leadership outside of a clinical context. (Note: coaching is not a substitute for psychotherapy and does not involve diagnosis or treatment.)

You’re Invited

Whether you are in the depths of something hard, or simply curious about your own internal landscape, I invite you — and every part of you — to come as you are. This work is about integration, healing, and wholeness.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice, meet them at the door laughing, and invite them in.

Let’s begin this process together.

With warmth,

Julie Anderson Smith, MA, MFTC