Have you ever said: “part of me wants to [fill in the blank] and another part of me wants to [not fill in the blank]”? You’re not alone! Our psyches are made up of lots of different “parts” that are often competing, conflicting, and even supporting each other in different ways. When traumatic experiences aren’t adapted and adjusted to by our mind-body, our psyches become more “fractured” and parts of ourselves can develop extreme ways of coping with life’s challenges. Often clients come to therapy seeking to understand and control these parts, which can be experienced as addiction, over-indulgence, explosive anger, self-harm, repeating unhelpful relationship patterns, and many other tendencies. People often say, exasperated: “I told myself I wouldn’t [fill in the blank], and then I did it anyway!!” when an extreme part “takes over” or “blends” with the mental landscape.
What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?
IFS is a therapeutic system created by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. It is based on the concept that people’s psyches are made up of various “parts” that are organized in a complex and dynamic system. These parts can be conceived of as different aspects of our personality, each with their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
The goal of IFS is to help people better understand and work with their “personality parts” to reduce inner conflict and experience greater self understanding and harmony. IFS is used to treat a range of mental health issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship issues.
How IFS Works
IFS involves a three-step process that connects clients with their internal parts and works towards integration of their psyche/personality/behavior patterns:
- Self-Compassion: The first step is to cultivate self-compassion and curiosity. Learning to approach the various parts of yourself with kindness and curiosity, you create a comfy space for exploration and transformation.
- Part Identification: The next step is to deepen understanding and connection with the different parts of yourself. This involves exploring how each part feels, what its motivations and concerns are, and how it impacts your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
- Part integration: This includes exploring how different parts interact and learning to work with them in more balanced and helpful ways. Your IFS therapist will help you navigate this; some parts may need assistance with letting go of false or limiting beliefs and burdens; others may need to change their role or strategies; and still others will need special care and attention from you and your therapist.
There is a lot more to IFS and it’s a highly effective and somatic (body-focused) therapy that can work quickly to change thought and behavior patterns. Please reach out to me if you want to try this life-changing approach!
