The inside of your head and the world around you are not separate. You affect the world, and the world affects you. The community inside mirrors the community outside.
Change one, and you change the other. Harm on the inside was learned from harm on the outside, but safety propagates just as easily. But you will never be safe if you continue the cycle of harm inside too.
Particularly relevant for Internal Family Systems; maladaptive behaviors held by Parts were learned in response to external situations, and changing your internal dynamics changes how you behave. That then changes your current external situation. However, if you’re still unsafe externally, then it may be harder to make changes internally.
Self-authored, 2025