Why Does It Feel Like Nothing Happens When I Go Inside in IFS Therapy?

Many people come to IFS therapy expecting that it will bring clarity, images, or clear emotional responses. For some, the experience is very different. A common question I hear is: “When I try to go inside, why do I hit a wall, fog, or a blankness instead of noticing parts or feelings?”

Some Possible Explanations

One possibility is pressure coming from other parts. There may be parts that want clarity, movement, or something recognisable to show up. They might be tracking whether the process is “working.” Even when that pressure is subtle or well-intended, systems often respond by shutting things down. Blankness can function as a brake when expectations start to build.

Another explanation involves protectors that are worried about overwhelm or uncertainty. Going inside can feel like moving toward something unknown. If there are parts that worry about opening something too intense, too destabilising, or too hard to contain, a protector might come in with a mild freeze response.

There can also be parts that want to be a good client. These parts care about doing therapy properly, responding in the “right” way, and not making mistakes. When getting it right starts to matter, the system may tighten. Going blank can feel safer than risking doing it wrong.

Another important reason is that people experience their inner worlds very differently. Some people are highly visual and their parts appear as clear images or inner figures. Others don’t see anything at all. They might notice bodily sensations, shifts in energy, a tone, or simply a sense of presence. Some people hear things more than they see them. Some don’t hear or see much, but just know.

If you’re expecting parts to show up in a particular form, it can be easy to miss quieter or less familiar channels of experience. What feels like “nothing” may actually be something subtle that doesn’t match the expectation you’re holding.

These explanations often overlap. Pressure, caution, performance concerns, and expectation can converge into the same experience of fog, stillness, or emptiness.

What We Do In IFS Therapy When “Nothing Is Happening”

In therapy, rather than trying to figure out why the blankness is there, we would usually stay in connection with it. The question isn’t “What’s causing this?” but “What is it like to be here with this, together?”

Blankness becomes something we relate to, not something we analyse or work around. Often, the pace slows and the system is given repeated signals that there is no pressure to change. Whatever shows up, or doesn’t, is treated as important information.

During my IFS training, I could connect quite easily with my parts during structured exercises. But in my own IFS therapy that I started after my training, I felt completely blocked and couldn’t access anything at all.

What made a difference to me wasn’t figuring out why; it was my therapist’s patience, playfulness, and curiosity. I truly felt that there was no pressure to be a certain way or to get somewhere else. We simply stayed with the fact that this was what was happening.

Over time, that way of being with the blocking, without trying to solve it, allowed the protector to soften. Not because it was pushed, but because it didn’t need to defend itself against expectations.

Exploring Blankness On Your Own, Outside Therapy

If blankness shows up when you are trying to connect with your parts on your own, the intention isn’t to push past it or get behind it. It’s to relate to it gently and see what, if anything, can be learned from being with it.

One place to start is by noticing the blankness itself. How does it show up for you? Is it a fog, a wall, a sense of emptiness, distance, or flatness? Notice where you feel you are in relation to it. Are you inside it, outside it, or looking at it from a distance? See if you can get a sense of the wider landscape. Where do other parts seem to be? Are they behind the wall, lost in the fog, or waiting somewhere else?

Once you have a rough sense of this, you might gently ask, “How do I feel towards this part that’s showing up as blankness?” This isn’t about forcing a response. You’re simply checking whether there is any curiosity, calm, openness, or connection there, or whether there are other parts that have strong opinions or feelings about it.

This can give you information about whether some Self-energy is present, or whether you’re blended with other parts.

If it feels like other parts are very present, such as frustration or wanting to push, there is already something more than the blankness that’s present! If you want to get to know the blankness, you might need to unblend a little from other parts. That can be as simple as noticing, “Something else is here too,” and seeing if you can create a bit of space.

After that, you can return to the blankness and just be with it. Notice whether it shifts, changes, or stays the same, without trying to make anything happen.

If you do notice some Self-energy, such as curiosity or compassion, you might gently direct that toward the blankness. You could internally say, “I’m curious about you,” or “It’s okay that you’re here.” If the blankness shows up as something concrete, like a wall, you might imagine taking a small step closer and see what happens.

The point isn’t to get through it. It’s to stay in relationship and let the system set the pace.

An Invitation

Blankness isn’t a problem to solve. It’s giving us valuable information about safety, capacity, and how your system is organising itself right now.

If this experience feels familiar and you’d like support exploring it in a paced, relational way, you’re welcome to get in touch and see whether working together feels like a good fit.