https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/internal-family-systems-therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS) uses
Family Systems theory—the idea that individuals cannot be fully understood in
isolation from the family unit—to develop techniques and strategies to
effectively address issues within a person’s internal community or family. This
evidence-based approach assumes each individual possesses a variety of
sub-personalities, or “parts,” and attempts to get to know each of these parts
better to achieve healing.
By learning how different parts function as a system and
how the overall system reacts to other systems and other people, people in
therapy can often, with the help of a trained
mental health professional, become better able to identify the roots
of conflict, manage any complications arising, and achieve greater
well-being.
This type of therapy was developed in the early 1990s
by Richard Schwartz, who developed the approach
after listening to people in therapy speak about inner parts within themselves.
As a young family therapist, Schwartz had received training in systems thinking
and family therapy theory, and he believed he was truly able to listen to
the individuals in his care once he set aside his preconceived ideas of therapy
and the human mind.
While the concept of
multiple intrapsychic entities was not new (Sigmund
Freud posited the existence of the id, ego, and superego), Schwartz’s training
in systems thinking prompted him to seriously consider the interactions and
relationships between these internal entities. He found internal parts to play
common but dynamic roles: the relationships between parts could be changed if
an individual intervened carefully and respectfully. Schwartz began to
visualize the human mind as an internal family and began to apply in treatment
the techniques he had learned as a family therapist.
IFS
is based on an integrative model. The approach combines
established elements from different schools of psychology, such as the
multiplicity of the mind and systems thinking, and posits that each
sub-personality or part possesses its own characteristics and perceptions. IFS also brings together various strategies from the Bowenian therapy base as well as techniques from more
traditional narrative and structural modalities. The different elements are
united through the goal of understanding and effectively addressing the
different parts of the mind.
Though this therapy technique sees each level of
consciousness as having different sub-personalities, each sub-personality has
its own likes, dislikes, burdens, and history, and each sub-personality is
thought to play a distinct role in achieving self-preservation for the person
in therapy. Every part within a person is responsible for warding off behaviors, actions, or reactions that could
result in dysfunction or disharmony within the individual. Thus, each part is
validated and recognized as important due to its primary function. Parts may be
identified as having either healthy and productive roles or extreme roles.
Those parts with roles considered extreme may benefit from therapeutic work.
The IFS model emphasizes the network of relationships between parts as parts
may not be able to experience change in isolation.
The IFS model has 5 basic
assumptions:
·
The human mind is
subdivided into an unknown number of parts.
·
Each person has a Self,
and the Self should be the chief agent in coordinating the inner family.
·
Parts engaging in
non-extreme behavior are beneficial to the individual. There is no such thing
as a “bad part.” Therapy aims to help parts discover their non-extreme
roles.
·
Personal growth and
development leads to the development of the internal family. Interactions
between parts become more complex, allowing for systems theory to be applied to
the internal system. Reorganization of the internal system may lead to rapid
changes in the roles of parts.
·
Adjustments made to the
internal system will result in changes to the external system and vice versa.
Therefore, both the internal and external systems need to be adequately
assessed.
There are three distinct
types of parts in the IFS model:
1.
Managers are responsible for maintaining
a functioning level of consciousness in daily life by warding off any unwanted
or counterproductive interactions, emotions, or experiences resulting from
external stimuli.
2.
Exiles are most often in a state of
pain or trauma, which may result from childhood experiences. Managers and
firefighters exile these parts and prevent them from reaching the conscious
level so that proper functioning and preservation are maintained.
3.
Firefighters serve as a
distraction to the mind when exiles break free from suppression. In order to
protect the consciousness from feeling the pain of the exiles, firefighters
prompt a person to act on impulse and engage in behaviors that are indulgent,
addictive, and often times abusive. Firefighters may redirect attention to other
areas such as sex, work, food, alcohol, or drugs.
Managers and firefighters
play the role of Protectors, while exiles are parts that are protected.
In IFS therapy, the Self represents the seat of
consciousness and what each person is at the core. The Self demonstrates many
positive qualities such as acceptance, confidence, calmness, wisdom, compassion, connectedness, leadership and perspective.
Unlike visible parts, the Self is never seen. It is the witnessing “I” in the
inner world—this aspect of an individual does the observing.
The IFS model aims to
differentiate the Self from the other parts (managers, firefighters, and
exiles) making up a person’s inner world. The ultimate goal of IFS is to
unburden or restore extreme and wounded parts and establish a trusted, healthy,
harmonious internal system that is coordinated by the Self.
Once in a state of Self, people in treatment will know what to say to each part
in order to promote internal system harmony. IFS therapists therefore try to
help people achieve and maintain a state of Self so
they can become counselors to own internal families. This increased internal
harmony often results in positive thoughts and behaviors in the external life
of the individual.
IFS is used to treat a
wide variety of mental health conditions and psychological wounds. It may be
applied in family, couple, and individual situations. As of November 2015, this type of therapy is
listed in the National Registry for Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) as an evidence-based practice. It has been
shown to be effective for the improvement of general emotional and mental
well-being and has been rated as promising to improve symptoms of phobia,
panic, generalized anxiety, depression, and certain physical ailments.
Issues treated with IFS
therapy include:
·
Trauma
·
Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse
·
Bipolar
·
Anxiety
·
Phobias
A session of IFS therapy
may take the form of traditional talk therapy, but a therapist may also choose
to focus on an affected individual’s internal environment and help the
individual connect different parts to Self. For
example, a person who is experiencing alcohol addiction may be asked to relax,
take a few deep breaths, and try to feel the part inside that wants to keep
drinking. That part may be identified via a body sensation, a visual image, or
an inner awareness of the part’s existence.
With the person in treatment now focusing on the internal
environment, the therapist may ask how the person feels about that part. The
individual may report feelings of shame, disgust, anger, or even fear. The therapist will typically then
explain the need to find out the reason behind the part’s actions, often gently
encouraging the person in therapy to “turn down the volume” of any fear,
hatred, disgust, or shame felt toward the part, in order for the part to
communicate clearly.
The part may explain it
acts in the way it does to help the individual deal with difficult problems being
experienced. At this point, the therapist may instruct the individual in
treatment to ask the part if it would be willing to stop its actions if other
effective coping mechanisms were used instead. The part may strongly doubt any
other methods will be able help the individual to cope, yet still be willing to
try these methods as there is nothing to lose. With permission granted, the
therapist will often then help the individual to deal with issues in healthy
and constructive ways.
In IFS, people work to understand the inner self through
the use of simple yet efficient exercises and techniques. Many exercises are
linked to effective breathing control, which promotes relaxation and mental clarity.
Common techniques and
exercises in IFS include:
·
Keeping a journal
·
Using diagrams to illustrate relationships between parts
·
The room technique. In this exercise one
part watches as the Self interacts with another part (with which the observing
part is polarized). This technique is used to bring polarized parts together.
·
Mountain or path exercise. In a safe
setting, people in therapy visualize themselves walking along an inviting path.
If one can see oneself in the image, the therapist will encourage the person to
move into the body and view the scenery from within, asking the individual to
pay careful attention to the thoughts, feelings, and sensations that arise.
This exercise is believed to help a person in therapy explore and better
understand the inner world.
·
Getting to know whoever’s there. An
individual is encouraged to breathe, relax, focus on the inner world, and get
to know the present parts even better.
·
Feeling one’s heart. An individual is
encouraged to breathe, relax, and feel the heart. Does it feel emotionally
open, or is it encrusted and closed? The individual may ask the protectors to
step back for a while so the exiles may be better understood.
Progressive training and
certification in IFS is provided by The Center for Self Leadership, the world’s
leading IFS institute, which was founded in 2000 by Richard Schwartz.
The organization offers
three levels of training:
·
Level 1: Participants learn the
fundamental concepts of IFS and how to apply basic techniques and
strategies to clinical populations. They are also encouraged to examine
their own inner world. Training sessions may include group discussions,
lectures, video presentations, experiential exercises, and supervised practice sessions.
·
Level 2: Participants who graduate from
Level 1 are given the opportunity to engage in multi-topic and intensive level
training. Multi-topic training covers content from four key modules:
Strengthening Skills and Advanced Techniques, Working with Trauma, Working with
Multiple Systems, and The Therapeutic Relationship and Spiritual Aspects of
IFS. Intensive level training helps participants to deepen their IFS work and
develop their expertise.
·
Level 3: Participants who graduate from
Level 2 and wish to uncover personal triggers and blind spots, clarify their
life path, and explore their spirituality may take advantage of a specialized
retreat with Richard Schwartz. The programs covered will help qualified
participants to grow in knowledge and sharpen their skills in IFS. Training
sessions may include group discussions, group exercises, extended mediation,
demonstrations, and intensive personal work.
Therapists and
practitioners who wish to become IFS-certified are required to fulfill the
certification application prerequisites. These may include at least a Master’s
degree in a Human services field and licensing/certification for clinical
practice. They must also fulfill the general eligibility criteria. This
includes the successful completion of IFS Level 1 training, a minimum of 200
hours of post-training clinical practice, 30 hours of IFS Continuing Education
and IFS Clinical Consultation, and a demonstration of competency via a DVD
session review or a live session review. Applicants are also required to pay
any necessary fees for certification.
Though IFS has recently been posted
on NREPP as an
evidence-based practice, it may still benefit from further testing to expand
information on its efficacy.
Several issues are thought to potentially limit the
effectiveness of this type of therapy. Common constraints include interference
from the therapist’s parts, the protective parts of the person in treatment,
and protective parts of other family members. Abuse or a lack of support from
the external system may also hinder the benefits of IFS. Those experiencing serious mental concerns
such as schizophrenia or dementia may experience less success with this
form of treatment.
As with all other
therapeutic modalities, mistakes made by the therapist can have a negative
effect on recovery. Common mistakes in IFS therapy include working extensively
with an exile before the internal system is able to handle such work, assuming
one is talking to the affected person’s Self when one is actually speaking with
a part, and assuming the Self is executing a particular task when in fact a
part is performing the task.
References:
1.
Dick, C., Yalom, V. & Schwartz, R. (2009). Instructors’ manual
for internal family systems therapy. Retrieved from
http://www.psychotherapy.net/data/uploads/5113ce91c0a4d.pdf
2.
IFS, an Evidence-Based
Practice. (2015, November 23). Retrieved from
http://foundationifs.org/news-articles/79-ifs-an-evidence-based-practice
3.
Lavergne,
M. (2004). Art therapy and internal family systems therapy: An integrative
model to treat trauma among adjudicated teenage girls. The Canadian Art Therapy Association Journal,
17(1), 17-36. Retrieved from
http://www.majielavergne.com/downloads/MajieJournal.pdf
4.
Murphy, B. (2009). About
internal family systems therapy. Retrieved from
http://www.selfledsolutions.com/resources/aboutifs.html
5.
Schwartz, R. C. (n.d.). Evolution of the internal family systems model.
Retrieved from http://www.selfleadership.org/about-internal-family-systems.html
6.
Schwartz, R. C. (2013).
Moving from acceptance toward transformation with internal family systems
therapy (ifs). Journal
of Clinical Psychology: In Session, 69(8), 805-816.
7.
Schwartz, R. (1987). Our
multiple selves: Applying systems thinking to the inner family. Retrieved from
http://www.hakomiinstitute.com/Forum/Issue10/OurMultipleSelves.pdf
8.
The Center for Self
Leadership. (n.d.). The internal family systems model
outline. Retrieved from
http://www.selfleadership.org/outline-of-the-Internal-family-systems-model.html
9.
The Center for Self
Leadership. (n.d.). Training in the internal family
system therapy model. Retrieved from http://www.selfleadership.org/ifs-therapy-training.html