Internal Family Systems Therapy

What is Internal Family Systems Therapy? 

Internal family systems, also known as IFS, is a type of psychotherapy. This therapy modality is structured on the concept that every person is made up of several parts and is derived from different types of family therapy. The founder of IFS, Dr. Richard Schwartz, used techniques that he used with families and applied them to individuals as he thought of the mind as an inner family. Specifically, this theory works under the assumption that there are several “parts” living within us that “fulfill both healthy and unhealthy roles” and certain life events can force us out of those roles. However, it is important to note that these internal roles can change over time and there may be infinite parts within you.

What is the Goal of IFS Therapy? 

The goal of internal family systems therapy is to find “the Self” and bring the inner roles/parts together in order to heal from past trauma and correct problematic behaviors by restoring mental balance. IFS suggests that the self is who we truly are and we need to gain trust in the self. The self is sometimes referred to as the “absence of parts,” “inner wisdom,” or the “undamaged” part of oneself. However, every view of the self has in common the idea that regardless of what difficulty someone is facing, there is more to the self that can create healing and we are made up of more than our mental health problems. The thirteen main parts that coordinate to make the self are the 8 C’s and the 5 P’s:

  • Confidence

  • Calmness

  • Creativity

  • Clarity

  • Curiosity

  • Courage

  • Compassion

  • Connectedness

  • Presence

  • Patience

  • Perspective

  • Persistence

  • Playfulness

The Three Common Roles

According to the IFS model, our parts often play into three main types, which are the firefighter, the manager, and the exile. The firefighter parts can be characterized as the protectors because they are activated when a trigger is present. The manager parts protect the self by using planning to avoid something that might be triggering and managing emotions. The exile parts are those that hold pain and trauma. An example of how these roles may present in a person is the exile being the trauma of abuse as a child, the manager being perfectionism, and the firefighter being alcohol use. 

Releasing the Burden

A therapist using IFS Therapy will then use a six-step process to help the client identify these parts and release the burdens that they carry and in turn restore trust in the Self. 

  1. Find - identifying the parts that need attention

  2. Focus - focusing on the relevant part

  3. Flesh - describe the part and your experience of it

  4. Feel - explore your feelings towards this part

  5. Befriend - be curious and accept this part’s presence 

  6. Fear - identify what this part fears 

What Concerns Can IFS Therapy Help With?

  • Improving self-esteem

  • Relationship concerns

  • Career issues

  • Grief

  • Anxiety

  • OCD

  • Depression

  • Eating disorders

  • Substance Use disorders

If you are interested in learning more about Internal Family Systems Therapy or believe you could benefit from this therapy, consider reaching out to an IFS-trained therapist for treatment options.