What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?
If you’ve ever felt two ways at once and felt an inner conflict, IFS might be for you.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, developed by Richard Schwartz in the 1980s, is a therapeutic approach that views the people as being composed of multiple "parts," each with its own distinct characteristics, emotions, and roles.
These parts often take on specific roles within an individual's internal system, sometimes leading to internal conflict. For example, one part of you might fel very excited about a big change coming up in your life, but another part of you is very scared about the uncertainty it might be causing. The goal of IFS therapy is explore these various parts, and create harmony within this internal system by helping individuals understand, access, and heal their various parts.
When I first learned about and read about IFS therapy, it made so much sense to me, like “ahhh…. that explains it.” IFS has now become a main modalities that use in my clinical practice.
Key Concepts of IFS Therapy
1. Parts:
We have different types of parts within us, that typically fall into one of the three following categories:
Exiles:
These are parts that hold painful memories, emotions, or beliefs.
Think “wounded inner child part”
They are often suppressed or “exiled” by other parts to protect the individual from experiencing pain.
Managers:
These parts attempt to keep the system safe and functional by maintaining control over the individual's environment and behavior.
They often try to prevent the exiles' pain from surfacing.
This could be a people-pleasing part, a codependent part, a perfectionistic part, or an inner critic.
Firefighters:
These parts act reactively, attempting to extinguish the pain of exiles when it surfaces.
It might try to reduce pain through impulsive or harmful behaviors such as substance abuse, self-harm, or numbing.
2. Self:
The Self is considered the core of an individual, the You that houses all the parts. The Self is distinct from the parts and is seen as the natural leader of the internal system. When we can be Self-led, we can feel whole and integrated and balanced. Being “in Self energy” can mean embodying qualities such as compassion, curiosity, calmness, and confidence.
3. Unburdening:
Unburdening is the process through which parts release their extreme beliefs, emotions, or roles that they have taken on due to past experiences or trauma. This allows them to adopt healthier, more balanced roles within the system.
Goals of IFS Therapy
There several goals of IFS, including:
Self-Leadership:
Helping the individual achieve a state where the Self leads the internal system, ensuring harmony and balance among the parts.
Healing:
Assisting parts to heal from past traumas and painful experiences, leading to a more integrated and healthy internal system.
Integration:
Encouraging communication and cooperation among parts, so they can work together in a more unified manner.
Process of IFS Therapy
IFS works through several stages to help people work with and process their parts.
Identify Parts: The therapist helps the client identify and get to know their various parts.
Differentiate Self from Parts: The client learns to distinguish between their Self and their parts, recognizing the Self as the compassionate leader.
Build Relationships: The client builds compassionate and understanding relationships with their parts, allowing for open communication.
Healing and Unburdening: The client works with parts to heal from past traumas and unburden them from extreme roles and emotions.
Integration and Harmonization: The client integrates the healed parts into a cohesive internal system, led by the Self.
Benefits of IFS Therapy
IFS therapy provides a framework for understanding complex internal experiences. It offers tools for self-compassion and emotional regulation. It can be effective for a wide range of issues, including trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship problems.
IFS therapy emphasizes the importance of viewing the mind as a system of interrelated parts, each with its own perspective and needs. By fostering a compassionate internal dialogue and promoting the leadership of the Self, individuals can achieve greater internal harmony and psychological well-being.
I e supporting clients using Internal Family Systems. If you want to get curious about your parts and how they are showing up for you, feel free to view my counselling services to see if I might be the right fit for you.
