In our previous episode with host Teri Murrison, we took over the "Internal Board Room," and the response was incredible. So many of you found power in the metaphor of giving your protective parts a voice at the table. But what happens when not only are you traumatized and an unhelpful part takes over, what happens when you're stuck with a painful label too? What if you begin to identify as "Victim," and if never crying, never telling anyone means you never get the help you need? In this episode of Where to Find Bread™, Teri shares a deeply personal story about how one word, "Victim", shaped her identity for years and how Internal Family Systems (IFS) helped her lay that label down. As she reflects on trauma, betrayal, healing, and self-understanding, she talks about meeting a protective part of herself she calls Cry Baby, and how that discovery opened the door to deeper healing. This episode is about more than recovery. It is about moving beyond survival and even beyond healing into thriving. She explores the power of words to define us, limit us, or set us free, and shares the new labels she's choosing for herself now: beneficiary, rescuer, victor, thriver, and hero. If you have ever felt trapped by the names pain, trauma, betrayal, or other people’s actions placed on you, this episode will encourage you to get curious, tell the truth, and choose words that align with who you are becoming. In This Episode, Teri shares: • A follow-up to her "Internal Boardroom", the story of the "Cry Baby" protector part, Teri's "Victim" label, and how keeping silent kept Teri stuck. • How the label became a negative architect of her identity and attracted further mistreatment. • A brief look at Internal Family Systems (IFS) and how it helps us reconcile our wounded inner parts. • Real-life examples of how predators and others sense the "Victim" label. • Her transition from just "healing" to actually "thriving." • The five new labels she claimed to redefine her life and how you can name and claim your own. Key Takeaways for Your Internal Boardroom • Words have power. They are the Architects of our identity. If we use the labels of the ashbin, we stay in the ashbin. • Thank Your Protectors: Your protective parts were formed to keep you safe when you had no other options. Thank them, then lead them. • Move Beyond Healing: You don't have to stay in a state of "recovery" forever. You can choose to be a Beneficiary of your wisdom and a Hero over your adversity. • Rename to Reclaim: Identifying the negative labels you carry is the first step to replacing them with a new identity. • What's Next? The Bridge to Better Relationships: This work of redefining your identity is the foundation for everything that comes next, especially building healthy relationships. Keeping quiet about trauma - isolating - only guarantees you continue to be a "Victim". Stepping out - being courageous and trusting someone to come alongside - allows you to open a door to healing and opportunity, to being a "Hero". To a place where you can engage with others in strength and wholeness. This is the crucial internal work to do before building external connections. • Finally, Teri encourages consulting a qualified therapist to assist in the process. Learning about deeply held and repressed memories can be re-traumatizing. Teri's not a counselor and recommends you seek professional assistance to take on family of origin work and to begin working with your parts. She has links to resources on wheretofindbread.us. Use them. Listen, Connect & Learn More • Catch Up on Part 1: Taking Over Your Internal Boardroom • Learn about IFS: Internal Family Systems Institute [ifs-institute.com] • Fresh Bread Coloring Book & Journal (Letter H for Healing) [https://wheretofindbread.us/product/26-days-of-fresh-bread-coloring-book-journal/] • Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @wheretofindbread and our newsletter at wheretofindbread.myflodesk.com • Visit our website [wheretofindbread.us] for more information and resources. • Join the Community: Leave a comment below with the new name you're claiming for one of your parts! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit terisdoingit.substack.com
