Understanding High Achievers through an IFS Lens
Many people arrive in therapy describing themselves as driven, responsible, and high achieving. On the outside, they may appear successful, capable, and organized. On the inside, however, the constant need to strive for more can feel exhausting, rigid, and anxiety-inducing.
From an Internal Family Systems (IFS) perspective, high achievement is often not just a personality trait, but rather a manager part. Understanding a high-achieving part as a manager can bring clarity, compassion, and relief.
What Are ManagerS in IFS?
In IFS, manager parts are protective parts that work proactively to keep us safe. Their job is to prevent pain, rejection, shame, or emotional overwhelm before it happens. Managers tend to be:
Future‑oriented
Controlling
Perfectionistic
Responsible
Vigilant
Oriented toward productivity, achievement, or approval
They often developed early in life as a way to navigate environments that felt unpredictable, critical, or emotionally unsafe.
High Achievement as Protection
High‑achieving manager parts often learned a powerful equation early on:
If I perform well, succeed, or stay impressive, I will be safe.
These parts may believe that achievement will prevent criticism or rejection, earn love, approval, or belonging, create a sense of control or stability, and/or protect against feelings of shame, inadequacy, or helplessness.
In this way, success becomes armor.
Common Strategies of the High-Achieving Part
High‑achieving manager parts can show up in many ways, including perfectionism or fear of making mistakes, overworking, and a strong inner-critic used as “motivation.” Other strategies a high-achieving part may use are a constant sense of pressure, difficulty asking for help, and/or tying self-worth to productivity or outcomes.
While these strategies may lead to external success, they often come at an internal cost.
What These Parts Are Protecting
Beneath a high‑achieving manager, there are often exiled parts—younger parts that carry pain from earlier experiences such as: feelings of inadequacy, being criticized or shamed, experiencing emotional neglect or unpredictability, or feeling responsible for others’ emotions. In this way, the high achiever works tirelessly to ensure those feelings never surface again.
When High Achievement Becomes Exhausting
Over time, manager parts typically become overwhelmed and exhausted. This may show up as burnout, anxiety, a sense of emptiness despite success, difficulty enjoying accomplishments, and feeling disconnected from joy. In IFS, these struggles are not signs of failure, but rather are signals that this part has been working too hard for too long.
Healing Through IFS: Befriending the Manager
The goal of IFS is not to get rid of high‑achieving parts. Instead, the goal is to understand them to have them begin to trust your Self.
When approached with curiosity and compassion, these parts often reveal:
How long they’ve been carrying responsibility
What they fear would happen if they stopped pushing
How much they care about protecting you
Through this exploration and the process of unburdening, the high-achieving part will take a step back and begin to relax. This allows more access to Self‑Energy, including clarity, confidence, and the space to navigate the world without the tight grip of the high achieving part.
You Are More Than Your Productivity
One of the most healing shifts through IFS work is realizing that worth does not need to be earned. High‑achieving parts can learn that safety, belonging, and love do not depend on the constant desire to do and achieve more.
When these parts no longer have to work so hard, many people find they can still be successful, but with more balance, flexibility, and self‑compassion. In this way, IFS allows you to reconnect with yourself and re-align with your values. If you recognize yourself in this pattern and are interested in IFS, I am an IFS-Informed therapist in Denver passionate about helping people release what they’ve been carrying for a long time. Please reach out today to see if we’re a good fit and to get started!
about the author
Gigi Woodall, LMFT
Trauma & Eating Disorder Therapist in Denver
Hi, I’m Gigi—a Denver-based trauma and eating disorder therapist and clinical supervisor passionate about helping people heal and reconnect with themselves. My work focuses on exploring how early experiences, relationships, and protective parts of the self shape our inner narratives. Through a compassionate and individualized approach, I help clients challenge limiting beliefs and step into a more authentic, intuitive way of living.
Prior to private practice, I worked at nonprofit organizations and eating disorder treatment centers. I'm also a proud Denver chapter member of the International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals (IAEDP), a clinical supervisor for pre-licensed therapists, and am on my way to becoming a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist (CEDS).
With training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, and eating disorder treatment, I provide a safe, supportive space for those navigating recovery, trauma, and self-discovery.
Looking for support on your healing journey? Book a free consultation to see if we’re a good fit.