Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)
What is Internal Family Systems Therapy?
Internal family systems (IFS) is an evidence-based therapy model that helps individuals gain a deeper understanding of how past experiences and hidden wounds interact with their current emotions, reactions, and relationships. Once this understanding is built, IFS helps individuals connect with their wounds and transition into clarity and wholeness. The IFS approach is unique as it integrates one’s mind and body while guiding individuals to use their inner wisdom when feeling stuck, uncertain, or conflicted. IFS focuses on two key components: our core-self and the parts that form our system. When individuals engage in IFS therapy, they find that they have the clarity they have been seeking.
The History of IFS
IFS was pioneered by psychologist Richard Schwartz, a comprehensive family therapist. He found that the long-lasting success of therapy could be unraveled by parts that believed there were benefits to continuing behaviors that caused destruction. Dr. Schwartz learned that every person has a robust system of parts that makes up their being and creates an internal family.
Much like our actual family members in a family system, each part has their own unique personality, emotions, beliefs, concerns, and goals. At times, these internal parts work in tandem or are at odds against one another. For example, one part of you wants to form a lasting relationship by building an emotional connection, while another part of you feels unsure and wants to be emotionally detached.
Tenets of Our Parts
IFS is rooted in the notion that we all have multiple parts that function to protect us and create an internal family system.
- Most importantly, there are no bad parts. While it seems like parts of us drive unhelpful behavior, parts in themselves truly believe they are protecting or helping you in some way.
- The part of you that enacts emotional detachment may believe you will experience hurt if you were to become attached to someone.
- Parts are often created after impactful interactions at any age, and they are frozen at that age.
- If you lived in an emotionally intense home as a child, there is likely a part of you that functions from the perspective of your child-self. That part of you remembers that shutting down or isolating from others is the safest way to deal with intensity.
- Parts believe they must stay in their current roles because they do not trust you to function well without their input. Frozen parts are unaware of your current age and that you have grown.
- The childlike part of you still believes the best way to feel safe or less overwhelmed is to isolate yourself, even as an adult who is no longer in the same environment and does not find this helpful.
- Parts want to be able to transition into a better and truly helpful role for you.
- The isolated child part would love to transition into helping you embrace love and connection.
- Your parts want to be seen, loved, embraced, soothed, and in communication with you as your core-self.
Tenets of Our Core-Self
As we all have parts, we also have a core-self, which is not a part but who we are at our center when our parts are not overriding our innate wisdom. When identified and embodied separate from our parts, we experience the 8C’s and 5P’s toward our parts and the world around us.
- The 8C’s: Curiosity, compassion, creativity, confidence, courage, calmness, clarity, connectedness.
- The 5P’s: Presence, perspective, patience, playfulness, and persistence.
The goal of IFS is to tap into your core-self and interact with your parts in a way that allows them to build trust and transform your internal system. This transformation leads to the peace that comes with restorative changes to how you feel and engage with yourself and others.
PCT clinicians who use Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS)
