Parts of a whole.

Many times my Therapist will say that my Alters are just parts of me. She does this to try not to encourage the idea that they are separate entities from me. They are merely parts of me. I understand her logic and the thought process behind it, but there is a better way. We (the alters) are part of the whole.

Let me try to explain. The first statement can very easily seem to be inferring that my therapist is talking to the main or core alter, and is therefore referring to the other alters as merely extra parts to the core or main person. 
But as multiples, we are often not aware of who the core alter is, who or where the original person is. Just because we look the same every time you see us DOES NOT mean you are facing the same alter every time. Many of my alters have similar voices and mannerisms, and you would be hard pressed to tell the difference unless you knew me really well. To me, every alter is me, and every alter considers themselves to be important and running our life. There is not a main alter that is 'THE ONE'. You may see more of one alter than others because these are the alters that handle certain situations, like socializing. But that does not mean that you will never encounter any of the other alters that live in this body. We switch and change as need arises. We are a cohesive group that runs this body, and to every single one of us - We are the one!
So next time you say "oh that's not her!" think again. That is me, it may just very well be someone else in control of the body than you were expecting. We are all me!