In Internal Family Systems, Protectors are parts that take on roles to shield the system from the pain held by exiles. They are divided into two main categories:
Managers
These are proactive protectors. They run our daily lives and try to keep us safe by controlling situations, relationships, and our image.
Common roles: Perfectionist, People Pleaser, Inner Critic.
Firefighters
These are reactive protectors. They jump in when an exile's pain "flares up" to douse the emotional fire by any means necessary.
Common behaviors: Binge eating, addiction, dissociation, extreme distraction.
The goal of IFS is not to eliminate these protectors, but to befriend them. When we acknowledge their hard work and positive intent, they can begin to trust the core Self and eventually take on more healthy, non-extreme roles.
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