Internal Family Systems (IFS)
The Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach is a powerful therapeutic model. It works on the premise that we all exist in an internal system made up of many different ‘parts’, or aspects of ourselves. IFS aims for you to be the calm conductor to your internal orchestra and allows you to find harmony between all the different instruments. It is useful for a range of therapeutic issues, from self-harm and addiction to relationship difficulties and depression. It is used to treat adults and adolescents as well as couples and families.
IFS was developed by pioneering family therapist Dr. Richard Schwartz in the late 1980s. He saw that we are not just one personality but many different personalities. We act and respond differently depending on a myriad of factors, including our mood, the situation we’re in and the people we’re with. Sometimes we find ourselves pulled in different directions, or we feel propelled to behave in ways that are not conducive to our wellbeing. IFS is designed to help us understand why that is. Although the idea of a divided mind may go against how you perceive yourself, it’s obvious in daily experience. For example, a part of you needs to get some work done, and another part may want to bunk off and have a drink with a friend. This dilemma, although small, can become bigger and more polarised and this is where people face internal strife.
Many different personalities
A safe place
IFS provides a safe space to explore your feelings, thoughts, impulses and the voices in your head that keep you dissatisfied. Your therapist will focus on the dilemma or issue that you want to address. With their support and often through guided meditation, you’ll get to know your different parts, how they were formed, what they would like for you and how you can work with them to flourish.
For a variety of reasons, we may suspect or fear that there are feelings, memories, or impulses inside of us that are so dangerous that they could overwhelm us or hurt other people. This is especially true if you have been though grief, loss or other traumatic experiences, or experiences that made you feel less valuable than others, or even worthless. So, we tend to compensate by making sure that we function well, appear to have our act together, and prove we are valuable. Often we may opt to distract ourselves, stay busy, and/or focus on changing other people. However, when we stop and turn our attention towards our inner experience, something changes drastically. What IFS provides is a safe and evidence-based method for taking care of our own feelings, thoughts, impulses and the voices in our heads that keep us dissatisfied.