How Does Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Work?

Have you ever felt as though you have different “parts” within you that are clashing and conflicting? Maybe those parts feel like different personalities that simply won’t work together, creating issues within your mind. 

If so, you’re certainly not alone, and there is method to work with what you’re experiencing: Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS). 

Developed by psychologist Richard Swartz, IFS refers to the inner sub-personalities, referred to as “parts,” that react and interact with each other and with others. IFS focuses on restoring harmony within those sub-personalities, or “parts.” By improving your mental balance, your parts can better connect with the inherent healing energy, referred to as the “Self” in IFS, resolving internal discord and helping with a variety of issues. 

What Does IFS Treat?

IFS is used to treat everything from anxiety and depression to trauma and substance abuse. It can even be an effective tool for managing your overall well-being if you feel you’re having a hard time functioning from day to day. 

Because IFS focuses on how different parts interact, it can be used with individuals, couples and family members. Couples and families have seen success with this type of therapy, as it can promote understanding and resolve the internal conflicts that contribute to external ones. 

Understanding the Systems

So, how does IFS work, exactly? It starts with the Self — the innate healing core of who you are. What is not Self are different sub-personalities or parts.  For the system to function optimally, the parts need to be Self-led.  Just like a committee without good leadership, when there is an absence of Self-leadership it can create internal conflict that contributes to mental health issues and negative well-being. 

The Self is meant to lead and bring healing energy to these parts so they all work together, but it’s difficult to do that when the parts are in conflict and polarized. When parts go to extremes or take on powerful roles, they don’t work together. They create discord within the mind and body.  IFS works by listening to and bringing compassion to polarized parts, helping them out of extreme roles, so they work together as a unit with the Self as a leader. 

Parts tend to play specific roles. There are the managers, exiles, and firefighters. 

Managers are protective personalities designed to help you navigate the ins and outs of functioning every day. 

Exiles carry difficult, often traumatic memories, even from years ago, and they can cause you to feel guilt, shame, or fear. Managers manage daily life with the intention of keeping exiles quiet enough so they don’t negatively affect your daily life. 

Firefighters step in when exiles, who want to be brought out of exile, go to extremes and cause painful, overwhelming emotions. Firefighters use extreme methods in order to put out the fire of the extreme emotions of the exiles, engaging in behaviors like binge eating, cutting, dissociation, excessive sleeping, dangerous behaviors, or substance abuse. 

What to Expect From Internal Family Systems Therapy

It’s the job of an IFS-informed therapist to help clients identify the parts they’re dealing with to better learn where (and why) they are struggling. 

There is a six-step process most IFS therapists follow to reach those goals. First, they’ll help you find the parts of your mind that require the most attention. Where are your parts in conflict, and why? 

Next, you’ll focus on those parts, and flesh them out by getting to know them and how they experience life. 

You’ll also explore how that specific part lives inside you, perhaps as a strong emotion, physical sensation or symptom, or critical voice. Developing an understanding of how your parts operate in your everyday life and how you feel toward the can go a long way in giving the Self a greater sense of control.

Finally, you’ll learn how to bring Self energy to the different parts of yourself, rather than trying to ignore or avoid them. When you’re able to access Self energy, you can shift how certain parts function, and integrate creative changes in the way you approach life.  

If you’re interested in learning more about IFS therapy, don’t hesitate to contact me for information. It can be a lot to take in, at first, but it’s one of the best ways to clear away internal conflict and find freedom.