Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps people understand and heal their inner selves.

Concept

IFS therapy is based on the idea that the mind is made up of multiple sub-personalities, or “parts”, that interact with each other. These parts can include wounded parts, parts that try to control or protect the person, and parts that fulfill healthy roles

Goal

The goal of IFS therapy is to heal the wounded parts and restore balance and harmony in the mind. This is done by helping the person find their “core Self”, which is the confident, compassionate, whole person at the center of their being

Process

In IFS therapy, the person works with a professional to identify and explore their parts, and to understand how they interact with each other. The goal is to create balance and ensure that none of the parts have an extreme role.

IFS was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Dr. Richard Schwartz. Schwartz was inspired by his work as a family therapist, where he observed how people described their inner lives. He began to think of the mind as a family, and the parts as family members interacting with each other.

I am I use IFS as warranted and have over 50 hours of training, both in-person and online.