What Is IFS Therapy? Exploring How Internal Family Systems and Parts Work

Our amazing brain has more capabilities than we can imagine. It has neurological functions, but did you know that it also works as a network of thoughts, emotions, and memories? IFS therapy (Internal Family Systems) works in a similar pattern. 

IFS therapy views the mind as a collection of different parts, and all these parts have different roles to play in our minds. This approach is specially made to bring structure in dealing with behaviours and patterns. IFS promotes compassion, as well as a balance in healing and acceptance. 

The good news is that with effort and time, these internal parts can evolve and become more defined. IFS treatment aims to find yourself and bring all of these elements together.

What is IFS Therapy?

The first thing to click your mind when thinking of IFS therapy should be that the mind is made of different parts. IFS therapy is a therapeutic approach that perceives the mind as a family system. Elaborating on the term “family,” it means that the mind consists of different, distinctive parts, yet, they are all related to each other and only work in collaboration. 

These parts are given different roles. They could be the wounded parts or the protective parts that shield the brain from emotional harm. 

In the IFS approach, all these parts are led by the “Self.” It is a state of mind more than a part that holds calmness, compassion, and curiosity, making it a resilient leader. 

The Meaning of IFS: What Does IFS Stand For?

IFS is an abbreviation for Internal Family Systems, which underscores the fact that just as a family is a system of unique members with their own responsibilities and positions, the human mind is also a system with its own divisions. These internal parts may, at times, contradict one another, creating a sense of internal conflict or discomfort in the person. IFS therapy addresses these issues, restoring harmony in the person’s psychological structure.

The Parts of Internal Family Systems Therapy

In Internal Family Systems Therapy, there are three main groups:

1. Managers: The first group is “managers,” who control and manage your emotions to avoid distress or emotional harm in the future. Although the managers can sometimes lead to perfectionism or people-pleasing behaviour because they focus on building different coping mechanisms.  
2. Firefighters: The firefighters work when emotions become overwhelming. These get activated in situations of extremism, such as overeating, uncontrollable anger, or any sort of abuse. 
3. Exiles: Exiles, in our minds, are the most vulnerable. These carry the burden of traumatic experiences and emotional pain. The thing about exiles is that these remain hidden to protect ourselves from being exposed as weak.

IFS therapy aims to encourage healing by tackling all three of these parts. The goal is to remove exiles’ emotional burdens while helping managers and firefighters work more calmly. 

How Does IFS Therapy Work?

We are clear about the mechanism of IFS therapy, but how does it work for different individuals? People have different thought patterns and unique behaviours. By combining IFS therapy with their behaviour, clients are encouraged to develop compassion and acceptance for each part of themselves. 

The process involves recognizing each part’s needs, being open to imperfections, and learning to unlearn unhealthy thought patterns.

Building relationships with these parts of our minds is healthy and highly encouraged. It helps us become more aware of ourselves. Reflecting on the depths of how our emotions work helps in healing and unburdening years of trauma, pain, or negativity. 

The 8 C’s of Self in IFS Therapy

A central concept in IFS therapy is the Self, which is characterized by the 8 C’s:

To understand IFS, you must know its central concept; the 8 C’s of self. 

1. Curiosity
2. Calm
3. Clarity
4. Compassion
5. Creativity
6. Confidence
7. Courage
8. Connectedness

Adopting these qualities allows a person to be entirely free. They allow you to be yourself without carrying the burdens of guilt or shame in your behaviours. IFS aims to access these qualities in every person to heal and rebuild the internal systems. 

The Link Between IFS Therapy, CBT, and DBT

The internal family system focuses on healing different parts of your mind, while other approaches to therapy, like cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), focus on changing thought patterns. These approaches can be blended with IFS for more effective support in mental health. 

• By embracing CBT, clients can be assisted in identifying and questioning irrational thoughts, which can be supported by IFS therapy by identifying self-parts that actually generate these kinds of thoughts.
• DBT is centered on skills for managing emotions and can be used in conjunction with IFS therapy as the clients are likely to experience such strong emotions while working with parts.

Benefits of IFS Therapy for Trauma Healing

More specifically, IFS therapy is helpful for traumatized persons. Stressful events disturb the structure of the internal system and result in the generation of highly protective parts (for instance, firefighters or managers) and the banishment of vulnerable aspects. IFS therapy aims to assist the client in reintegrating these aspects back and providing a roadmap out of emotional fragmentation.

You can also read this article : benefits of art therapy

At Art Therapy Guelph, we incorporate art therapy into this process by assisting the clients in expressing their trauma creatively. Clients are able to depict their inside world by therapeutic drawing, painting, or sculpting since traumatic experiences can be described by the position of the specific part.

The Criticisms of IFS Therapy

Though IFS therapy has been successful in addressing different matters among people and is famous for applying a single approach to heal the effects of trauma, it still comes with criticisms. 

Some critics have pointed out that it may actually not be beneficial for patients with severe forms of dissociative identity disorder, as the very emphasis on parts could continue defeating the whole notion of the self. 

Some others stated that the deficiencies of the IFS model have not been sufficiently proven or supported by research. However, current research is showing the model to be effective.

While we acknowledge these arguments at Art Therapy Guelph, we have witnessed the transformative effects of combining IFS therapy and art therapy for many clients. As for the IFS therapy, our approach is always client-focused so that IFS is applied correctly and combined with other effective techniques.

How to Get Started with IFS Therapy at Art Therapy Guelph

Now that you are all aware of IFS therapy, its parts, and its functions, you may have made up your mind whether or not this therapeutic approach is for you. At Art Therapy Guelph, we provide therapy sessions designed for your custom emotional requirements. Join our group therapy or one-on-one sessions today and become a part of our journey towards emotional healing and growth.