Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on a client’s internal “parts” and “Self.” In IFS, the mind is considered to be naturally made up of multiple sub-personalities or families within each individual’s mental system. These sub-personalities take on different roles, such as an inner critic or inner child, and consist of wounded parts and painful feelings like anger and shame.5

The goal of IFS is to help clients access Self so that they can heal wounded parts and bring their minds into balance.1IFS is an evidence-based practice used to treat a range of mental health disorders including anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Treatment usually occurs in outpatient settings (in-person or online) with sessions lasting approximately 45 – 60 minutes. Sessions range in cost from $100 to $200. The treatment timeline depends on the issues you want to address.

The founder of IFS therapy, Dr. Richard Schwartz, thought of the mind as an inner family and began applying techniques to individuals that he usually used with families.

The underlying concept of this theory is that we all have several parts living within us that fulfill both healthy and unhealthy roles. Life events or trauma, however, can force us out of those healthy roles into extreme roles.

The good news is that these internal roles are not static and can change with time and work. The goal of IFS therapy is to find yourself and bring all of these parts together.

The Self in IFS Therapy

The Self is composed of what are known as the eight C's and the 5 P's. The eight C's are:

Confidence
Calmness
Creativity
Clarity
Curiosity
Courage
Compassion
Connectedness

The five P's are:

Presence
Patience
Perspective
Persistence
Playfulness

IFS suggests that it is your core Self that is who you truly are. The therapy process promotes healing, trust in the Self, and the coordination of all C's and P's that make up the Self.

Techniques of IFS Therapy

While there may be infinite parts within you, there are three main types: firefighters, managers, and exiles.

The firefighter parts are protectors that are activated when a trigger is present. An example of this might look like being reminded of a painful memory and using a behavior like substance use to put out the “fire” of the pain.
The manager parts protect you by managing situations through intense planning to do whatever they can to avoid something that might bring you deep pain.
Both the firefighter and manager, according to the theory, work to keep the exile from emerging and flooding you with memories of pain and trauma.

An IFS therapist will use a six-step process to help you find these parts and release their burdens.

Find

First, you will be asked to turn your attention inward, possibly by starting with meditation. You will pay attention to the sensations in your body that come up to identify a part to work with.

If you’ve ever had an upset stomach because you were nervous, then you may understand how our mind and body work together on our emotions.

Focus

Next, you will be asked to turn your focus to this part.

Flesh Out

Once you’ve found and focused on a part, it is time to flesh it out—to see what else you can learn about it. What emotions are associated with it? Is it a particular color? Does it represent you at a particular age?

Feel Toward

How do you feel about this part? This will give your therapist an idea of how big or small of a role this part is playing in your life.

Befriend

This may be one of the hardest steps—getting to know the part and seeing how it takes shape in your life. It involves a degree of acceptance of the part’s existence, but that doesn’t mean it needs to stay there.

Fear

Fear is the last F. In the process of befriending, you will discover what the fears are of that part of you. What are they afraid will happen without their presence in your life?