Is IFS Therapy Right for Me?
More than ever before, individuals seeking therapy are coming to the process well-informed, with clarity about their hopes for change and, increasingly, a sense of which approaches and modalities they believe might best support their needs. This clarity might veer solely in the direction of finding a good fit with a therapist, which supports one of the most important foundations of good therapeutic outcomes: the therapeutic relationship.
However, there are other important elements in the therapeutic process, such as the therapist’s focus, their area of expertise and training, their theoretical lens, and any specialized approach(es) they use in their work. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is one such approach that has gained significant attention in recent years. One can look in almost any direction to find mentions of IFS, whether implicitly in entertainment media and movies, or explicitly with in-depth podcast interviews, articles, and research. There are videos of live demonstrations of IFS therapy, often provided by Dr. Richard Schwartz, the founder of IFS. Famous actors and social media influencers have come forward to share their experience with IFS therapy. Online courses and in-person retreats offer a chance to extend learning into a more experiential realm. So, what is it about this approach that’s different? What can it offer me?
A Paradigm Shift, and Hope for Change
For those who initiate IFS therapy after having heard about what it can offer, or the ways in which it varies from other therapeutic approaches, there is often a spark of curiosity and hope for change. This is especially true for those who have benefited from prior therapy, yet feel they reached the limits of what talk therapy or other approaches could offer them.
Additionally, there is often a readiness to dive into a more experiential approach that gently connects one to the undercurrents of emotions, sensation, memories, and meaning that extend beyond the thinking mind—all in a way that is highly individualized, gentle, and non-pathologizing.
The Essence of the IFS Model
Internal Family Systems powerfully transformative, evidence-based model of psychotherapy that has evolved over the past forty years into a comprehensive approach for working with individuals, couples, families, and even groups. The IFS Institute provides an introduction to the basic assumptions and goals of IFS therapy:
IFS is a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self. We believe the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Just like members of a family, inner parts are forced from their valuable states into extreme roles within us. Self is in everyone. It can’t be damaged. It knows how to heal.
IFS is frequently used as an evidence-based psychotherapy, helping people heal by accessing and healing their protective and wounded inner parts. IFS creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts.
But IFS is much more than a non-pathologizing evidence-based psychotherapy to be used in a clinical setting. It is also a way of understanding personal and intimate relationships and stepping into life with confidence, calm, compassion, courage, creativity, clarity, curiosity, and connectedness.
What Else Can IFS Offer Me?
In addition to being evidence-based and non-pathologizing, the IFS model is:
Adaptable to each individual—including the pacing within sessions
Tailored to support various issues relating to trauma, dissociation, neurodivergence, somatic symptoms, and more
Affirming of your intersecting cultural identities, and everything that makes you who you are
In the hands of a trained and skillful provider, this approach also:
Provides ways to prevent or reduce overwhelm, even with depth work, and for those with significant histories of trauma
Encompasses impacts from society, culture, the various -isms, and transgenerational trauma
Expands to the individual’s beliefs, values, and spiritual practices when applicable
Curiosity to Learn
There is no shortage of publications, podcasts, research, interviews, or retreats centered on IFS. Perhaps you’ve only heard of IFS in passing, or have already done a deep-dive into any IFS resources you can get your hands on. And while my motto is for you to arrive exactly as you are, with no need to learn about model prior to entering IFS therapy, it’s also possible that a part of you might be curious to learn and explore. If that’s the case, here are a few options to get you started:
Books
Introduction to Internal Family Systems by Richard Schwartz
No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz
Podcast Interviews
Voices of Esalen: Dr. Richard Schwartz | Internal Family Systems
Being Well: IFS: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with Dr. Richard Schwartz
Ten Percent Happier: How (and Why) to Hug Your Inner Dragons | Richard Schwartz
We Can Do Hard Things: Inside an Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Session
Let’s Connect
Alicia Dabney, LMFT, LPCC, ATR-BC is a Level 3 trained IFS Certified therapist licensed in California. She has been a Program Assistant for IFS Institute Level 1 and 2 trainings and presented with Marianne Turley, LMFT at the IFS Annual Conference in 2022. Special topics of additional training include Somatic IFS, intercultural competence, IFS and grief, psychedelic integration for IFS practitioners, addictive processes, shame, anxiety and depression, and using IFS with children/adolescents.