Inner tension is not always caused by external circumstances – sometimes the source of distress lies within the psyche itself. According to Dr. Daniel Reinhardt, intrapersonal conflicts often manifest when a person simultaneously experiences opposing impulses without being aware of their internal contradiction. In MindCareCenter clinical practice, we frequently work with conditions in which emotional regulation is disrupted precisely because of internal splitting, rather than due to a lack of willpower or emotional skills.
An intrapersonal conflict arises when different parts of the psyche strive toward incompatible goals. One part may demand control, responsibility, and compliance with expectations, while another longs for rest, spontaneity, or protection. These parts do not communicate with each other – instead, they pull the person in opposite directions. As a result, emotions become unstable, reactions abrupt, and the inner state difficult to predict.
At MindCareCenter, we observe how such splitting often develops against the background of prolonged experiences in which it was impossible to remain connected to oneself while also maintaining relationships with significant others. In these conditions, the psyche chooses division – some experiences become “acceptable,” while others are pushed aside or isolated. This allows functioning to continue, but at the cost of emotional wholeness.
Our psychologists emphasize that when the psyche is split, emotions are often experienced in fragments. A person may feel intense anxiety without understanding its source, sudden bursts of irritation, or a sense of emptiness following strong emotional reactions. Emotional regulation is disrupted not because there are too many emotions, but because they belong to different internal parts that are disconnected from one another.
Psychotherapeutic work at MindCareCenter focuses on restoring internal dialogue. The goal is not to eliminate the conflict or suppress one side. Instead, we gradually help make each internal part visible – understanding its role and what it is trying to protect. This process reduces inner hostility and restores a sense of internal coherence.
Over time, therapy makes it possible to integrate fragmented parts into a more coordinated inner system. A person learns to recognize which internal position is activated in a given moment and to respond consciously rather than automatically. Emotions no longer overwhelm or shut down – they begin to function as signals rather than threats.
Special attention at MindCareCenter is given to bodily responses that accompany intrapersonal conflicts. Often, the body is the first to reflect inner dissonance – through chronic tension, fatigue, or psychosomatic symptoms. Working on the bodily level supports emotional regulation and helps restore a sense of inner continuity.
It is important to understand that psychological splitting is not inherently pathological. It is an adaptive mechanism that once helped the psyche survive under unbearable conditions. In Mind Care Center therapeutic work, we gently help reorganize this experience – so that different parts of the psyche can coexist without constant inner struggle.
When intrapersonal conflict is no longer hidden, people gain access to more stable emotional states. The capacity to tolerate complex feelings returns, decisions can be made without inner rupture, and a renewed sense of being a unified subject of one’s own life emerges.
Earlier, we wrote about how MindCareCenter helps with being stuck between the past and the loss of an image of the future