What is IFS?

I imagine you have heard someone say “part of me wanted to do this, but then part of me wanted to do something else”. This is a great example of the basis for Internal Family Systems. Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is a therapy approach that views individuals as being comprised of many parts of themselves, resulting in the whole human who lives life day to day. Parts are formed throughout our lives, but often very young, to help us function. If you have ever heard of an inner critic, that is an example of a part. So is working with your “inner child” (inner children is more accurate).

Often times, our parts have developed strategies and creative adjustments to help us survive or even thrive that eventually are no longer serving us or even causing us further stress. Internal family systems is an approach in which therapists guide clients to befriend and get to know their parts, leading to a shift in feeling and behavior as trust is built.

About

Like Art Therapy, Internal Family Systems lends itself to externalization, which can help give psychological distance to a person’s thoughts and feelings so they are easier to be curious about and understand.

Other reasons I chose IFS to be one of my approaches is that it is non-pathologizing as well as intended to be able to be used by clients with themselves. The goal is for the client to become attached to themselves and be their own grounded and trusted adult, rather than relying on the therapist.