Internal Family Systems or IFS is a psychotherapy approach developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the late 1980s. The IFS approach is founded on the idea that the human mind is made up of a multitude of independent subpersonalities called parts.
Each part has its own personality, strengths, weaknesses, and interests and interacts with other parts with the purpose of keeping the system — the human psyche — in balance.
For example, think of all the times when a part of you really wanted to stay in bed to get some more sleep and then another part of you pushed you out of the bed to go to work.
In IFS, there is also a conscious energy that is different from all the other parts — the Self. Some IFS experts describe the Self as what remains of our personality when all the parts step aside. In other words, Self is the conscious life force that makes up what a person is at the core. It demonstrates the most sublime aspects of our being such as confidence, acceptance, calmness, compassion, curiosity, wisdom, connectedness, perspective, and leadership. Unlike other parts, Self is never seen and is always observing what is happening in the person’s mind.
In IFS, we believe that the healing comes from the Self and an unburdened and balanced system of parts is led by its energy.
Parts Functions and How Trauma Affects Our Parts
According to IFS, all of our parts serve a specific purpose in the system. Going back to our previous example, when you are at work, an unburdened part that is good at managing tasks and getting things done can take the lead in the system. It may help you focus on the task at hand and maybe it works along a perfectionist part that helps you do it as well as you possibly can. However, when you are not working, this “manager” part may relax a little and allow another part that is good at enjoying the pleasures of life to take over the system.
On the other hand, if a person is exposed to physical or emotional trauma — especially during childhood — these parts are forced to take on extreme roles to shield them from further damage.
However, sometimes when these parts are pushed into extreme roles, they cannot return to their normal state. Believing that the danger is always present, they work constantly to keep it at bay. Even when that traumatic situation is no longer a threat to the person.
One thing we should keep in mind when working with IFS is that all of our parts — especially the damaged ones — do what they believe is best for the balance of the system and their intention is always to protect it from the painful feelings associated with similar traumatic experiences.
Each part has its own personality, strengths, weaknesses, and interests and interacts with other parts with the purpose of keeping the system — the human psyche — in balance.
For example, think of all the times when a part of you really wanted to stay in bed to get some more sleep and then another part of you pushed you out of the bed to go to work.
In IFS, there is also a conscious energy that is different from all the other parts — the Self. Some IFS experts describe the Self as what remains of our personality when all the parts step aside. In other words, Self is the conscious life force that makes up what a person is at the core. It demonstrates the most sublime aspects of our being such as confidence, acceptance, calmness, compassion, curiosity, wisdom, connectedness, perspective, and leadership. Unlike other parts, Self is never seen and is always observing what is happening in the person’s mind.
In IFS, we believe that the healing comes from the Self and an unburdened and balanced system of parts is led by its energy.
Parts Functions and How Trauma Affects Our Parts
According to IFS, all of our parts serve a specific purpose in the system. Going back to our previous example, when you are at work, an unburdened part that is good at managing tasks and getting things done can take the lead in the system. It may help you focus on the task at hand and maybe it works along a perfectionist part that helps you do it as well as you possibly can. However, when you are not working, this “manager” part may relax a little and allow another part that is good at enjoying the pleasures of life to take over the system.
On the other hand, if a person is exposed to physical or emotional trauma — especially during childhood — these parts are forced to take on extreme roles to shield them from further damage.
However, sometimes when these parts are pushed into extreme roles, they cannot return to their normal state. Believing that the danger is always present, they work constantly to keep it at bay. Even when that traumatic situation is no longer a threat to the person.
One thing we should keep in mind when working with IFS is that all of our parts — especially the damaged ones — do what they believe is best for the balance of the system and their intention is always to protect it from the painful feelings associated with similar traumatic experiences.
How Our Wounded Parts Create Our Dysfunctional Behaviors
IFS divides our parts into three types—managers, firefighters, and exiles.
Exiles are wounded, normally young, parts trapped inside the painful situations where they were most vulnerable. And as a result, they are burdened by mistaken beliefs, feelings, sensations, and energies. Some examples of these burdens are beliefs such as being worthless, unlovable, and undeserving; feelings like shame, sadness, fear, and loneliness; and energies and sensations like emptiness, hollowness, and untetheredness. Exiles can be some of our most creative, loving, sensitive, and joyful parts too. However, to shield the system from the pain they carry, exiles are locked away in isolation with all their great qualities.
Managers are proactive planners, analyzers, critics, controllers and so on. They keep the exiles guarded from painful emotions (like shame and humiliation) by doing everything they can to prevent similar traumatic situations from happening. Our wounded manager parts carry the burdens of fear and responsibility and can inflict negative feelings such as shame, worthlessness, anxiety, and activate our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).
Firefighters on the other hand are reactive and try to establish balance in the system when they feel that managers are unable to do so. They are impulsive without caring much about the consequences of our actions. Firefighters are usually rejected and isolated both internally and externally by other people as they take on undesirable traits, such as addiction, extreme acting out, rage, and activate the ANS.
In IFS, managers and firefighters are referred to as protectors and are also known in other psychotherapy methods as defenses, coping mechanisms, adaptations, etc.
According to IFS theory, problems emerge when different parts of our personality have conflicting interests (a situation that is described in IFS as polarization between parts) or when our protectors behave in extreme ways and create more issues by pushing us into dysfunctional patterns.
Again, in the work example, imagine if you had a strict parent who verbally or physically abused you for not putting enough effort at school. Now, as an adult, that manager part of you that felt threatened by the abuse, may force you to drown yourself in work to prevent that painful experience from happening again, wounding the exile even more. You may even feel unworthy or unloved if you are not constantly working or getting excellent results.
However, since life is never perfect and unpleasant things do happen, your situation at work may spiral out of control. At this point, your firefighter parts may get activated, causing you to drink excessively to numb you against the feelings of shame and unworthiness.
This loop continues in different forms unless the exile that causes our protectors to react in such extreme ways is unburdened and healed.
Exiles are wounded, normally young, parts trapped inside the painful situations where they were most vulnerable. And as a result, they are burdened by mistaken beliefs, feelings, sensations, and energies. Some examples of these burdens are beliefs such as being worthless, unlovable, and undeserving; feelings like shame, sadness, fear, and loneliness; and energies and sensations like emptiness, hollowness, and untetheredness. Exiles can be some of our most creative, loving, sensitive, and joyful parts too. However, to shield the system from the pain they carry, exiles are locked away in isolation with all their great qualities.
Managers are proactive planners, analyzers, critics, controllers and so on. They keep the exiles guarded from painful emotions (like shame and humiliation) by doing everything they can to prevent similar traumatic situations from happening. Our wounded manager parts carry the burdens of fear and responsibility and can inflict negative feelings such as shame, worthlessness, anxiety, and activate our Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).
Firefighters on the other hand are reactive and try to establish balance in the system when they feel that managers are unable to do so. They are impulsive without caring much about the consequences of our actions. Firefighters are usually rejected and isolated both internally and externally by other people as they take on undesirable traits, such as addiction, extreme acting out, rage, and activate the ANS.
In IFS, managers and firefighters are referred to as protectors and are also known in other psychotherapy methods as defenses, coping mechanisms, adaptations, etc.
According to IFS theory, problems emerge when different parts of our personality have conflicting interests (a situation that is described in IFS as polarization between parts) or when our protectors behave in extreme ways and create more issues by pushing us into dysfunctional patterns.
Again, in the work example, imagine if you had a strict parent who verbally or physically abused you for not putting enough effort at school. Now, as an adult, that manager part of you that felt threatened by the abuse, may force you to drown yourself in work to prevent that painful experience from happening again, wounding the exile even more. You may even feel unworthy or unloved if you are not constantly working or getting excellent results.
However, since life is never perfect and unpleasant things do happen, your situation at work may spiral out of control. At this point, your firefighter parts may get activated, causing you to drink excessively to numb you against the feelings of shame and unworthiness.
This loop continues in different forms unless the exile that causes our protectors to react in such extreme ways is unburdened and healed.
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How IFS Helps Us Heal
In IFS therapy, the main healing element is the Self. Healing occurs when the Self can identify the exile, gain access to it, see it, listen to its fears, welcome it as it is and bring it light, and give it the love and care that it yearns for, but was deprived of.
Since facing difficult memories can be stressful for us, different parts may block our access to them. So, we need to create a safe space where protectors feel honored, heard, and appreciated to lower their guards and allow us to speak directly with our wounded part.
To do this, we first need to create some space between our Self and our wounded parts, a process that is known in IFS as Unblending. We start by identifying which part is the most stressed and putting the most pressure on the system using an IFS therapy process called the 6 Fs. It allows us to understand the wounded part and its fears, witnessing those difficult memories without being overwhelmed, so we can help it get out of there and unload all the extreme emotions and beliefs associated with it.
Unburdening: Letting the Pain Go
One of the distinguishing aspects of IFS therapy is the unblending process which allows us to witness difficult memories without being overflowed by extreme and intense emotions. In IFS, it is frequently emphasized that we are not our parts, and our parts are not their burdens. Once we unblend our wounded parts from the Self and fully understand that our emotional scars are not who we are but only what a part of us carries, and we can accept and even welcome the wounded parts of us, then we are finally ready to visit the exile.
It is not uncommon for people to experience relief and improvement once they have reached this realization. However, real healing occurs when the exile is met, heard, embraced, and unburdened.
Scientific Evidence for IFS
IFS has been posted by NREPP as an evidence-based practice. NREPP or the National Registry for Evidence-based Programs and Practices is a national repository maintained by the U.S. government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Methods and practices listed in NREPP, are subject to independent, rigorous scrutiny and known to lead to significant improvement on individuals’ mental health.
SAMHSA’s independent scientific review of the study and NREPP application confirmed that as a clinical treatment, IFS has been rated effective for improving general functioning and well-being.
Also, it has been rated promising for improving phobia, panic, and generalized anxiety disorders and symptoms; physical health conditions and symptoms; personal resilience/self-concept; and depression and depressive symptoms.
Issues Treated With IFS
IFS has shown to improve a wide range of mental health conditions and psychological wounds. It is now used for family, couple, and individual therapy.
IFS has proven effective in treating:
- Trauma
- Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
- Compulsive behaviors
- Depression
- Bipolar disorder
- Body image issues
- Anxiety
- Phobia
- Addiction
Where to Begin
One of the great things about IFS are its communities of people who look after each other with care and compassion. If you feel that you still need to learn more about IFS or are not ready to start therapy with an IFS practitioner, you can join our completely free IFS Self-healers community.
To make IFS as affordable and accessible as possible, we also spent one and a half years designing and developing a mobile app can help you practice Internal Family Systems on your own, even if you have very limited IFS experience. It can help you beFriend your parts, reduce anxiety, and gain clarity in your daily life. It is a very effective tool to jump start your healing journey.
Please Click here to try the IFS Guide app for Free.
To make IFS as affordable and accessible as possible, we also spent one and a half years designing and developing a mobile app can help you practice Internal Family Systems on your own, even if you have very limited IFS experience. It can help you beFriend your parts, reduce anxiety, and gain clarity in your daily life. It is a very effective tool to jump start your healing journey.
Please Click here to try the IFS Guide app for Free.
Author: Blanca Dasi
Blanca holds a master’s degree in design studies from Harvard University and is passionate about creating immersive experiences that can take the user safely and enjoyably through a transformational healing journey.
Blanca holds a master’s degree in design studies from Harvard University and is passionate about creating immersive experiences that can take the user safely and enjoyably through a transformational healing journey.
For comments & discussions, please feel free to connect with us at ifs@ifsguide.com
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