The Internal Family Systems Model
(IFS)

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“The mind is naturally multiple, and that is a good thing”.

 

The Internal Family Systems Model is built on this belief. It offers a way to create enough space inside ourselves to try on different ideas, and begin shifting our well-worn default settings. IFS does this by providing a series of steps - initially guided by the therapist - that helps to begin relating differently with our internal world. 

 

Internal Family Systems teaches how to listen to all parts of ourselves, while still having a sense of leadership and choice over them - like a conductor guiding an orchestra, or a captain leading a team. This can lead to a more integrated sense of self. Rather than feeling the need to hide or suppress aspects of our being, we learn to understand all parts, recognize where they come from, and allow them to contribute their strengths while redirecting any outdated impulses. With this model, we can live and make choices from a more aligned place. 

 

Internal Family Systems provides steps to bringing curiosity and insight to our thoughts and emotions, using them as a trailhead to find what is driving them that needs to be healed. Each part of us is driven by survival instincts, and sees only a fragment of the whole system. The Self, who can self-witness and can see the entire internal system at work, can learn to take the lead and look out for all parts, in a wise and compassionate way. 
 

“Like the sun, the Self can be temporarily obscured, but it never disappears. 

 

Someone rejects us, and suddenly we are awash in shame; a driver cuts us off, and we’re flooded with rage; we have to prepare for a presentation, and we have a panic attack. We know that they’re overreactions, but we have no real idea as to why we get so upset. And because we never ask inside, we just go around thinking of ourselves as touchy, angry, or anxious people. 

 

It’s important to remember that regardless of how blended we are, the Self is still in there - it never goes away. In ancient times, when there was a solar eclipse and it suddenly got dark because the moon blocked the sun, people would panic, believing the sun had disappeared. Like the sun, the Self can be temporarily obscured, but it never disappears. When the moon passes by or clouds dissipate, the sun shines as brightly as ever. Similarly, when parts unblend, the Self’s nourishing energy is readily available again and the parts are comforted to sense the presence of such a strong, loving inner leader."
 

- No Bad Parts

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