Do You Live from the Balcony of your Intellect? Shedding Armour and Reconnecting with the Felt Sense of Life

Growing up, I had a natural tendency to experience life through my intellect—living in my head, so to speak. I didn’t wear my intellect as a badge of honour, I wore it as protective armour. And honestly, it worked. It shielded me from the messiness and emotional weight of life. It kept me ‘safe’.

But here’s the catch: living from the balcony of your intellect might protect you from pain, but it also keeps you at arm’s length from beauty, joy, and connection.

I could understand a sunset. I could say, “Oh, that’s pretty.” But I couldn’t feel it. Not in my bones. Not in the way that stirs your soul or brings a tear to your eye. That deeper, embodied connection wasn’t there. And the truth is—you can’t selectively numb.

An intellect is a powerful tool for navigating life. But it’s also an effective way of not feeling.

Through my own experience of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, I slowly began to shed that intellectual armour. And in doing so, I discovered something richer: connection. I now feel more deeply connected to others and to the world around me.

These days, when I walk to our local back beach, I see the beauty—and I feel it too. The wild, expansive ocean meets something in me. There’s a sense of presence, of gratitude, and it feels deeply nourishing.

I love my work because I get to witness this kind of shift every day—supporting clients, just like you and me, as they gently release the layers of armour that no longer serve them. It’s a quiet joy to see people reconnect with their full emotional selves, with beauty, with meaning, with life.

So if you’ve used your intellect to stay safe in the world, I want to say—good on you. It’s served you. It probably helped you navigate a world that didn’t always feel safe. But if now, you’re ready to lay down that armour—if you long to connect more deeply, to feel more alive, to be moved—then maybe this is the time.

IFS offers a gentle, powerful way to make that shift. So the parts of you that have worked so hard to protect can finally rest—and you can begin to experience all that life has to offer