Boulder Counselor Releases Book to Help Readers Understand Emotional “Hijackings”

Scott Doniger, a Boulder-based chronic stress counselor, has released a new book aimed at helping people better understand and manage their emotions. Hijacked: Getting to Know Our Parts and Why They Take Us Over was announced on May 1 in observance of Mental Health Awareness Month. The book introduces readers to Internal Family Systems (IFS), a therapeutic approach rooted in the work of Dr. Richard Schwartz, designed to identify and address the “parts” of the self that can take over during moments of stress or conflict.

Doniger’s journey into this therapeutic work began after his own struggles with stress and burnout. After spending over 30 years in marketing and business strategy, he was drawn to counseling and life coaching as a way to help others navigate their own emotional challenges. He found that his personal healing journey was deeply influenced by IFS, which he says was the missing piece in understanding his own emotional patterns.

“I realized that nobody had written a basic, accessible introduction to parts work,” Doniger said. “Not for therapists or practitioners, but for everyone else… people who were hurting, people who were curious, people who had heard of parts work and were looking for a doorway in.”

In his book, Doniger explores how internal “parts,” such as the Perfectionist or the Caregiver, can hijack a person’s behavior, causing emotional distress and sabotaging well-being. “The goal of Hijacked is to provide a simple and practical way for people to recognize and understand the parts of themselves that lead to self-sabotage,” Doniger said. “Through IFS, people can learn to take control of these parts and ultimately take back control of their emotional lives.”

The book's approach is grounded in the idea that we all have different parts within us, often developed as protective mechanisms during childhood. According to Doniger, these parts are always present, but can overtake us in certain moments, leading to stress, anxiety, and unhealthy behaviors.

Karen Ticktin, a client who has worked with Doniger for two years, said the book helped her identify how specific parts of her personality would “step in” when she was triggered. “In stressful moments, I noticed a part of me that would get critical, not just of others, but of myself. It was trying to protect me from making mistakes, but it ended up making me feel worse,” she said. “Learning to recognize that part gave me a moment of pause. I could see it for what it was: a protective instinct, not the whole of who I am.”

Ticktin, who works in healthcare branding and writing, said IFS helped her distinguish between her reactions and her deeper values. “There was a moment where I realized the part of me that wants to please everyone was driving a lot of my decisions,” she said. “It wasn’t until I started separating from that part that I could act from a more grounded place.”

She added that the body-based aspect of the work was equally important. “It wasn’t just about thinking differently. It was about noticing where those parts lived in my body. There’s a kind of embodied awareness that helped me feel more in control.”

By recognizing these internal dynamics, Doniger believes people can gain greater emotional resilience. “When we’re able to separate from these parts and get curious instead of reactive, we begin to access what IFS calls the ‘Self’... a calm, compassionate inner presence that can lead,” he said.

Doniger hopes Hijacked will be useful for people who may not have access to therapy but are still looking for tools to better understand themselves. “This book can help people take the first step,” he said. “You don’t need to have a therapist to begin this journey.”

To support the book’s release, Doniger will host three events in Colorado during Mental Health Awareness Month. The first event will take place on May 22 at Black Lab Sports in Boulder, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The second will be held on May 27 at Nurture: The Wellness Marketplace in Denver, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The final event will take place on May 31 at Inkberry Books in Niwot, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

At each event, Doniger will engage with attendees, answer questions, and discuss the key themes of Hijacked. “I want people to understand that they don’t have to be at the mercy of their emotional hijackings,” he said. “With the right tools and insight, anyone can live in sovereignty.”