IFS Therapy
What Is IFS Therapy?
Have you ever been on committee where there is a high level of conflict or dysfunction? On a committee like this, there is a lack of good leadership and organization. People argue, talk over each other, and fail to compromise when disagreements arise. But when there is a strong, humble, and organized leader, a committee’s whole dynamic can change.
IFS, which stands for Internal Family Systems, is a model of therapy that views the client as “a committee of many different parts.” Without strong strong leadership, the parts may function, internally, like a dysfunctional committee. But when there is strong leadership, all of the parts learn to function in a balanced and harmonious way.
In many ways, the language of “parts” is something that all of us can relate to. We often say things like, “Part of me wants to go out with my friend, but another part wants to stay home and relax.” IFS is simply a way of using this language to help us understand ourselves on a deeper level. We all have many different parts—inner critic parts, parts that want to manage or protect, resourceful adult parts, and parts that hold onto trauma and painful experiences from childhood.
According to IFS, none of these parts are bad. Some of them have merely become too powerful for their own good. They might exhibit extreme behavior because of the burdens they carry (e.g., a traumatized part may tell us to use substances or engage in other destructive habits to cope with our pain). IFS seeks to help these wounded parts release their burdens. Using the wisdom of the Self, which is the ever-present healing energy in all of us, IFS can help us free ourselves from extreme behaviors and live with more Self-energy and Self-leadership.
How Effective Is IFS Therapy?
IFS was founded by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the early 1980s. Since then, it has grown tremendously as an accepted and effective treatment approach with a wealth of research to support its efficacy. Various studies have shown that IFS can successfully treat trauma, PTSD, depression, addiction, and many other mental health issues (1). The National Registry for Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) lists IFS as an evidence-based intervention, meaning that it’s been subject to rigorous scrutiny and deemed to have significant impacts on individual mental health (2).
In my practice, I use IFS to help adults struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, eating disorders, and even autoimmune illnesses. Part of why I love IFS is that it goes much deeper than ordinary talk therapy can. It is experiential, meaning that it accesses the root causes of issues instead of merely prescribing surface solutions.
Other approaches to healing, such as addiction recovery programs, often focus on getting rid of the problem (i.e., substance use) rather than exploring the deeper roots of a person’s behavior. IFS seeks to heal the traumas and emotional wounds at the root of negative behavior. When your burdens are lessened and your traumas are healed, unhealthy habits naturally fade away. You feel less inclined to relapse into old behaviors and naturally embrace new approaches.
How Does IFS Therapy Work?
My role as a therapist is to guide clients in exploring their internal system, gradually getting to know their different parts and understanding the roles they play and the burdens they carry. Oftentimes, the parts that clients bring into sessions are protectors. For example, you may come in with an active addiction or an eating disorder. Instead of trying to get rid of these behaviors, we will explore what this part—the part that binges or abuses substance—is trying to do for you.
Protector parts are usually trying to protect a part that’s carrying a painful burden or a part that’s been pushed away or exiled. My goal is to help parts release their burdens so that protective parts do not need to exhibit extreme behaviors. This way, you won’t need to rely on binging or using substances to experience emotional relief. You will be able to access your Self-energy, which is the inborn healing energy that we all have within us.
There are eight Cs—or qualities—of Self-leadership in IFS, each of which is available to us when we connect with our healing energy. These qualities are:
Calmness
Clarity
Curiosity
Compassion
Confidence
Courage
Creativity
Connectedness
By learning to access and exhibit these eight qualities, you can rely more on your own Self-energy and less on other people and other sources. You can also learn to speak for your parts rather than from your parts. What this means is that, instead of reacting from an anxious or defensive place when stressful situations arise, you can think more carefully and deliberately about how you’ll respond. This can help you live more mindfully and thoughtfully in day-to-day life.
My Background with IFS
I started my private practice in 2001 and shortly thereafter became acquainted with IFS and Dr. Richard Schwartz through the Hakomi community in Boulder, Colorado. I was very fortunate to have been able to study with Dr. Schwartz in small venues before IFS became mainstream. Today, I am a certified IFS-informed EMDR therapist through the Syzygy Institute and I have been studying with Bruce Hersey, the institute’s founder.
I decided to use IFS in my practice because it pairs very naturally with the other approaches I draw from, namely EMDR therapy and Hakomi therapy. EMDR therapy taps into the nervous system’s built-in ability to heal from trauma, while Hakomi uses a body-centered approach to connect with the deeper parts of the psyche. IFS blends well with these treatment methods because of its non-pathologizing nature and its emphasis on accessing the subconscious regions of the mind. IFS seeks to listen to and befriend our protector parts rather than trying to get rid of them or overcome them, allowing for deeper work than standard talk therapy can provide.
Let Me Help You Connect With Your Inner Healer
The mind and body have an amazing potential for healing from trauma and achieving wholeness and connectedness, and IFS taps into that potential. If you want to experience the restorative power of IFS in your own life, you can call (303) 507-6310 or fill out the contact form.
(1) https://ifs-institute.com/resources/research
(2) https://foundationifs.org/research/empirical-evidence#:~:text=Randomized%20Clinical%20Trial%20on%20IFS%20treatment%20for%20PTSD,...%203%20Additional%20empirical%20evidence%20and%20resources%20
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