Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach that helps individuals understand and harmonize the different parts of their internal world. By fostering a connection with the core Self, IFS promotes healing and balance between conflicting emotions, leading to greater emotional well-being and self-awareness.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) at Thrive Therapy Houston
Family Systems (IFS) was developed by Richard Schwartz drawing upon influences from Systems Theory and the concept of multiplicity of the mind. According to Schwartz, other theories describe this phenomenon, for example, object relations with internal objects, cognitive behavioral theory with schemas, and transactional analysis with ego states. However, IFS uses concepts of systems theories to track sequences and patterns of internal interactions, just as you would track family member interactions (Schwartz, 1995).
According to Schwartz (1995; 2001), the goals of IFS are:
- The internal system will have balance, harmony, and integration.
- Self will be the effective leader in the systems and parts are able to be differentiated form Self.
- Self will ultimately lead, however, because parts are differentiated, parts can provide feedback to Self but not interview with decision making of Self.
- All parts will play their valuable role and exercise their talent in a non-extreme manner.
Understand the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Model
There are several basic assumptions of the IFS model. First, all people are born with multi-personalities, and it is the nature of the mind to be subdivided into what IFS refers to as parts. All people are born with parts. Parts can be experienced as thoughts, feelings, images, sensations, and more. However, the second basic assumption of IFS is that while we are all born with parts, all parts are intended to provide something positive to the individual, meaning, each part is valuable, resourceful, and talented.
While parts have naturally valuable talents and resources, life experiences (specifically traumatic experiences or attachment injuries) force our parts into valuable roles to survive yet can later become destructive. While that role becomes vital for survival during a traumatic experience, these parts remain frozen in time, still believing they must hold this role indefinitely. Therefore, there are no “bad” parts, simply parts that are functioning in an extreme or destructive role for survival. The goal for IFS is not to get rid of our parts, but rather, transform them into a positive, useful role (Schwartz, 1995).
In addition to being born with parts, all people are born with and have a Self, which is the intended leader of the person’s internal system. An intended outcome of IFS is for the client to be Self lead. Self is often defined by the eight C’s: curious, calm, confident, clear, creative, connected, courageous, and compassionate. When “in Self” it is often described as feeling centered. Self, according to IFS, has the power and wisdom to heal internal and external relationships (Schwartz, 1995; Schwartz, 2001).
Goals of IFS
The goals of IFS include a balance and harmony of parts and Self. When Self leads, parts can work as they were intended to provide their talents and resources. In order to achieve this goal, one would unburden our part(s). A principal belief of IFS is that parts carry burdens; parts are not burdens. This distinction becomes vital to the model considering that we do not want to rid a person of parts, just the burden the part carries.
Burdens are typically defined as extreme beliefs and/or emotions that were learned within relationships and become part of the internal system. Burdens are often introduced externally via a traumatic experience or attachment injury and attach to a part. Schwartz refers to burdens as a virus, which takes over and drives the part. Following the theoretical framework of System Theory, once the burden is released, it is assumed that parts will convert to their valuable, positive state and the system will reorganize (Schwartz, 1995; Schwartz, 2001).
Internal Family Systems has been effective at treating a wide range of clinical issues, including depression, anxiety, and trauma exposure (Anderson et al., 2017).
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