INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS (IFS)
We all develop different “parts” or “personas” in various stages of our lives (our childhood selves or our teenage selves, for instance). Some are protective, some critical, some expressive, some are burdened, and some hyper-responsible. Together, they work to keep us safe and make sure our needs are met. Together, they make a whole.
They will each hold a unique insight for healing. Internal Family Systems (IFS) works on developing an inner harmony with all parts of the system that make the whole. We’ll give each of your parts a voice and we’ll work with them to untangle the trauma or wounding from that time in your life.
I found myself gravitating towards IFS because clients naturally think in terms of parts – especially in cases of complex, long-held trauma. With the IFS approach, I have seen my clients become more connected to themselves with less judgment, able to find self-awareness and understanding.
The goal is not to pathologize, but to build relationships between the self and each of the parts. This way, we can lead ourselves with compassion and heal each piece and the whole.
Working with Critics and Challenging Protectors offers an opportunity to explore harsh critics and the ways these Parts have learned to protect us. As their goal is to make sure we are not too vulnerable, lazy, incompetent, or rejectable, they use harsh tactics that create considerable anxiety, shame, and/or rebellion in our system. Working with these Parts and often the more vulnerable Parts they protect can prepare one’s internal system for deeper healing and unburdening.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is frequently used as an evidence-based psychotherapy, helping people heal by accessing and healing their protective and wounded inner parts. IFS creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts.
IFS helps us access deeper ways to express what’s happening (or what has happened) in our lives. If we can “personify” the parts influencing us, we are often more compassionate and relational with those parts. What is their personality? How do they dress? How old are they? What are they saying?
Each part of us is holding valuable information, and my goal is to help them express themselves more freely. They’re also often holding trauma and deep wounding while coping in effort to help us survive. When we’re able to unburden them, I often see a relief in symptoms and a new way of being.
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