What is Internal Family Systems Therapy?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. It is a model of psychotherapy that aims to help individuals understand and manage their internal emotional and cognitive conflicts. IFS is based on the idea that individuals have various “parts” within themselves, each with its own distinct thoughts, feelings, and roles. These parts can be in harmony or conflict with each other, leading to emotional distress and psychological struggles.

IFS therapy is used to address a wide range of emotional and psychological issues, including trauma, anxiety, depression, and more. It provides a structured and compassionate approach for individuals to explore their inner world, gain insight into their behavior and emotions, and ultimately find healing for emotional wounds and internal conflicts.

Key principles and concepts of Internal Family Systems therapy include:

Self

In IFS, the “Self” represents the core, authentic aspect of an individual. It is characterized by qualities like compassion, curiosity, clarity, and calmness. The goal of IFS therapy is to help clients access their Self, as it is seen as the healing and guiding force within. This involves cultivating self-compassion, self-awareness, and self-acceptance. When the Self is in a leadership role, it can guide and heal the wounded parts.

Parts

Individuals are believed to have various “parts” or subpersonalities within themselves. Each part has its own unique beliefs, emotions, and motivations. Some parts may be protective, trying to shield the individual from pain or trauma, while others may hold unprocessed emotions or beliefs. Parts are often unconsciously driven to protect the system and keep one safe.

Exiles: Exiles are the wounded and vulnerable parts of an individual that carry painful memories and emotions, often from adverse childhood experiences or trauma. These exiled parts are often hidden or suppressed from consciousness to avoid emotional pain and prevent further harm.
Managers: Managers are protective parts that try to keep the exiled parts hidden and prevent them from experiencing further harm. They aim to keep the individual safe and functioning in the world. They often engage in planning, controlling, and avoiding situations that could activate exiles. They often exhibit behaviors like perfectionism, self-criticism, and control to maintain order and safety.
Firefighters: Firefighter parts are more impulsive and reactive. These extreme and, often destructive parts, emerge as survival strategies in the midst of trauma and adverse childhood experiences. When emotional distress becomes overwhelming, these parts may engage in self-destructive behaviors, such as addictions, to cope with, distract, numb or extinguish the emotional pain.

Trauma Work

IFS can be used in trauma therapy to help clients process and heal from traumatic experiences by working with the protective and wounded parts involved.

Self-Compassion and Curiosity

IFS encourages self-compassion and curiosity as individuals explore and interact with their internal parts. Clients are taught to approach their inner world with non-judgment and understanding.

Inner Dialogue

IFS therapy involves facilitating an internal dialogue between these different parts of the self. This dialogue helps individuals understand the intentions and needs of each part and works toward integrating them in a balanced and harmonious way.

Reparenting and Integration

Clients may work on reparenting their inner child parts, providing the nurturing and care that may have been lacking in their early lives. The goal is to integrate these inner child parts into a healthier, more balanced self-system.

Releasing Burdens

IFS therapists work with clients to release the burdens (extreme beliefs and feelings) carried by exiled and protective parts, allowing them to heal and integrate into the Self. This process is often referred to as “unburdening.”

Internal Harmony

The aim of IFS therapy is to help individuals achieve internal harmony, where Self is restored as the natural leader of the system and the various parts work together in a balanced way, supporting the person’s overall well-being and functioning.

Resources:

Internal Family Systems Introduction

RICHARD SCHWARTZ, Ph.D., FOUNDING DEVELOPER OF IFS

What is Internal Family Systems? – Richard Schwartz, Ph.D, founding developer of IFS, speaks about Parts & Voices, the Self, Healing and how Internal Family Systems got its name.
Dr. Richard Schwartz explains Internal Family Systems (IFS) – Founding developer, Richard Schwartz, gives an overview of the Internal Family Systems model. Learn more at https://ifs-institute.com/ The mission of IFS Institute is to bring more Self leadership to the world. We provide IFS training for professionals, a practitioner directory for those looking for IFS trained providers, and international learning opportunities for those exploring personal growth through IFS.
Internal Family Systems – What is Self? – What do we mean when we talk about Self? Internal Family Systems founding director, Richard Schwartz, PhD, talks about this core component to the IFS model.
Understanding the Parts of Ourselves | With Dr. Richard Schwartz, Author, No Bad Parts
Understanding Our Inner Critic – Interview at Wisdom 2.0 with Soren Gordhamer.

Dorie Cameron, LICSW

What Might Be Going on Inside of You: Understanding Your Response to Crisis – This video provides an overview of Internal Family Systems. Are you looking for a way to better understand why you feel the way you do? This video was produced in April of 2020, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as a response to this very stressful situation for people everywhere. However, it is also a useful guide to understanding how your nervous system functions during all of life’s stressful events. Dorie Cameron, L.I.C.S.W. and author of the IFS introductory book “Why Did I Do That?” provides a gentle exploration of the reasons people respond to stress the way they do by exploring the truth of what might be going on inside of YOU!

Dr. Tori Olds – My name is Tori Olds, PhD and I am a psychologist living in Austin TX. What I’d really like you to know is that I LOVE learning about the mind. I also love learning how to help others have a more compassionate understanding of themselves. Whatever the format–whether crafting educational videos for YouTube, or writing and recording music–I want to do my part in this conversation around being human. And I’d love you to join my community of curious-minded folks as we explore being human together!

What is IFS Therapy? | Intro to Internal Family Systems – Welcome to Part 1 in my series: What is IFS? Internal Family Systems Therapy, Explained. In this video, I provide an introduction to IFS Therapy. I explain some of the core concepts of IFS such as parts work, and the science behind these parts.
How to Find Yourself | The “True Self” in IFS Therapy – Welcome to Part 2 of my series: What is IFS? Internal Family Systems Therapy, Explained. In this video, I present IFS’s answer to the questions: “Who am I?” and “When I feel lost, how do I find myself again?” I describe how our true self or “big S self” is often hidden by the parts of us that have adapted defenses to deal with our painful or traumatic experiences and how IFS uses parts work to help us to unblend from our parts and reconnect to our real self. I describe the eight C’s of the self and explain why is is so easy to lose connection with our authentic self and become blended with our parts. Discuss the concept of neural integration as way of explaining unblending from a scientific perspective. Finally, I end by arguing that reconnecting with our true self is not only essential for our own personal growth, but is also imperative for successful collaboration in our complex and increasingly polarized society.
No Bad Parts: Unblending from Protectors in IFS Therapy – Welcome to Part 3 of my series: What is IFS? Internal Family Systems Therapy, Explained. In this video, I discuss parts work and how IFS uses the technique of unblending from our protector parts in order to help us to break free from old patterns and strong emotional reactions that make us feel out of control. I explain the neuroscience of implicit memory and why the patterns we learned in childhood are so difficult to change. I discuss IFS’s approach for unblending parts, and how once we are able to get some perspective from “our parts” and see them as just a part of a larger self, we are able to connect with a wiser adult self, the “true self,” who can care for our inner child. I describe what “protectors” are, and how to work with these protector parts. Finally, I explain how this parts work can unlock our capacity for self-leadership and rescue the wounded parts beneath our protector parts, who needed protecting.
Healing Trauma in IFS Therapy: Unblending from Exiles – Welcome to Part 4 of my series: What is IFS? Internal Family Systems Therapy, Explained. In this video I share how IFS Therapy understands trauma through the frame of parts work and uses the techniques of unblending from parts to help heal trauma and gain freedom from “emotional flashbacks.” I also discuss the IFS concept of exile parts and describe the relationship between protectors and exiles. I also provide a brief description of the neuroscience of trauma, trauma flashbacks and why traumatic experiences can still feel so present in our bodies, years after the traumatic event. Finally, I explain how once we have been able to connect with our “big S self,” our “true self” is able to go beyond managing our emotional reactions to actually healing our trauma by caring for our traumatized exile parts.
Healing Our Inner Child | Internal Family Systems – In this final, fifth video I describe how IFS therapy helps us to reconnect and care for our wounded inner child. I describe how parts work helps us to bring about a long-awaited reunion between this inner child and a wiser, more compassionate adult self or “true self.” Through gently asking our defenses (protector parts) to step aside, we are able to provide true guidance and care to the young parts of our self that are scared, angry or ashamed but have been exiled from our conscious awareness. When this hurt inner child that we had previously hidden away, senses the presence of our caring adult self, they are finally able to feel save enough to be seen. The protector parts, also developed in childhood, sensing a wiser, stronger, more capable presence, are able to let go of their defensive strategies for protecting the wounded inner child.

How to talk to the worst parts of yourself | Karen Faith | TEDxKC – NOTE FROM TED: This talk contains a discussion of suicidal ideation. If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please consult a mental health professional and/or support organization, as this talk is not a substitute for mental health advice.

People researcher and empathy trainer Karen Faith found it easier to welcome strangers than the strange parts of herself, until a breakthrough moment changed that for good. In this honest and funny talk, she shares the story for everyone who struggles with self-acceptance.

Karen Faith is an ethnographer and strategist whose work has guided teams and initiatives at Google, Amazon, Indeed, The NBA, The ACLU, Blue Cross Blue Shield, The Federal Reserve Bank, and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, among many others. She lives in New York, where she is the CEO and Founder of Others Unlimited, an empathy training company.

What is Self and Self-Energy? A Deep Dive into the Core of IFS

Legacy Burdens Explained

IFS Meditations

Richard Schwartz – Insight Timer

IFS Meditation – In this module, Dr. Richard Schwartz narrates a guided meditation focusing on Trail Heads and how to engage them. He helps the listener show compassion to their parts and engages them through compassion and loving energy.
The Path – In this deeply relaxing meditation, Dr. Richard Schwartz guides listeners through The Path exercise where they take a journey without their parts in order to learn about Self Leadership. This exercise is designed to create awareness about Self and the needs of parts, both specific and in general.
Heart: Internal Family Systems – In this meditation, Dr. Richard Schwartz discusses the expansiveness of the heart and the parts that protect it. He encourages the listener to pay attention to, and show appreciation for, the many parts and the roles they play.
Courage: Internal Family Systems – Dr. Richard Schwartz guides the listener to engage their parts and, together, view a courageous moment from the individual’s past. The listener experiences the reactions from their parts and asks permission to embody the bravery they see in themself, sharing the feelings their parts experience as they move through this process.
Getting to Know a Part – Dr. Richard Schwartz walks the listener through the process of getting to know one part at a time. He encourages the listener to identify one part and focus curiosity and compassion on it. To listen and nurture it, while also holding other parts in loving energy.

How to Unblend from Your Parts

Getting to Know Your Parts

Living Your Truth: Embrace Your Authentic Self

IFS Self Meditation

Internal Family Systems Guided Meditation

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Meditative Journey

Increasing Self Energy – When we begin work with our internal systems, a key that is often talked about is the need for capital “S” self-energy. This meditation by David Hayden focuses a framework to help listeners build self-energy, and assess how the process of building is going. This meditation is designed to be repeated for a couple of days in a row.

Jenna Riemersma – Jenna is the developer of the Move Toward (TM) shorthand IFS tool, which distills the powerhouse IFS model into 3 steps (notice, know, need), and brings compassionate relief to the parts of ourselves we struggle with the most. Join her on Insight Timer for a variety of IFS mediations.