WHAT IS INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEM?
Richard Schwartz came up with the concept of the Internal Family System (IFS). Through multiple sessions with clients, Schwartz recognized that clients had subparts to them. These subparts have characteristics and relationships with other subparts, creating an internal family system. These subparts are compared to a family because external situations cause family members and subparts to take on family roles to create this sense of control and safety in the system (Evolution of the Internal Family Systems Model, n.d.)
The subparts can be categorized into three roles:
Managers – is when we are conscious, and an unpleasant thought or emotion comes up that we consciously push it away.
Exile – is the place in our unconscious mind, where our unpleasant thoughts and feeling are stored to keep away from our consciousness.
Firefighters – when the unpleasant thoughts and emotions try to come out of exile, we try to distract ourselves. Some examples are binging on sex, food, alcohol, or drugs (Evolution of the Internal Family Systems Model, n.d.).
The goal of these roles is to keep ourselves safe and prevent ourselves from feeling unpleasant. Subparts are not bad, but when they emerge to protect us, they can be extreme, and that is what makes it harmful (The Internal Family Systems Model Outline, n.d.).
In therapy, we are trying to identify the parts. Once parts are identified, Richard Schwartz had realized most people could talk to their parts. Conversation with their parts allows clients to understand what the parts fear and feel the need to guard us against. They can then even tell the parts to quiet down and take a step back (Schwartz, R, n.d.)
When clients told their parts to take a step back clients reached a point of Self that felt calm, grounded, and empathetic. This allowed individuals to stay more in the present (Schwartz, R, n.d.). This aided in family and couple therapy as their parts were not getting defensive, and therefore they were able to hear what the other family member had to say (Couples & Marriage Counseling with Internal Family Systems Therapy, n.d.)
IFS is focused on the individual, but it is used in individual, couples, and family therapy. IFS can help with eating disorders, depression, anxiety, trauma, and relationship issues.
During IFS many techniques are used to get the client relaxed and able to identify their parts. Some examples include:
Journaling
Drawing diagrams to illustrate the relationship between the parts.
Mountain or path exercise – Clients imagine a trail within them. Clients are walking the trail and talking about what they experience as they are walking. This exercise teaches clients to look into themselves.
Feeling one’s heart- Clients need to relax and focus on the heart and identify if the heart feels open or closed. The goal is to open the heart and mind to all the feelings and parts (Internal Family Systems, 2018).
For more information on IFS or if you would like to book an appointment with one of our therapists that use IFS please give us a call 647-267-9853 or email us info@vaughanpsychotherapist.com.
References
Evolution of the Internal Family Systems Model By Dr. Richard Schwartz, Ph.D. (n.d.). IFS Institute.
https://ifs-institute.com/resources/articles/evolution-internal-family-systems-model-dr-richard-schwartz-ph-d
The Internal Family Systems Model Outline (n.d.). IFS Institute. https://ifs-
institute.com/resources/articles/internal-family-systems-model-outline
Schwartz, R. (n.d.). The Larger Self. IFS Institute. https://ifs-institute.com/resources/articles/larger-self
Couples & Marriage Counseling with Internal Family Systems Therapy (n.d.). IFS Institute. https://ifs-
institute.com/resources/articles/couples-marriage-counseling-internal-family-systems-therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS) (2018, Feb 18). Good Therapy. https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-
therapy/types/internal-family-systems-therapy