13 Dec Internal Family System (IFS, Parts work) | Issa Counseling
What Is Internal Family Systems?
Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is a therapeutic model designed by Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. Its premise is that we are not just one mind; we are made up of a collection of parts, or sub-personalities that exist around an internal core Self. Each part functions within our internal ecosystem, disagreeing, managing, and protecting the others around it
“…the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Our inner parts contain valuable qualities, and our core Self knows how to heal, allowing us to become integrated and whole. In IFS all parts are welcome.” IFS Institute
parts are often formed at crucial or traumatic moments in our lives and are based on strong influences and experiences that have shaped us. The purpose of IFS is to understand how those parts are behaving, and how we can create harmony between the parts and the Self to achieve internal peace.
What are parts?
Parts are the sub-personalities that, combined with the Self, make up who we are. In IFS there are no bad parts. Every part wants to care for us. The reason we need to work on the parts is to teach them new ways to exist so that they are serving the self in the best way possible. Parts want to be there for us, they just sometimes don’t know how, and they try to help in maladaptive ways.
In the IFS model, parts are divided into two categories: protectors and exiles. The protectors are subdivided into managers and firefighters. Each of these parts serves a function in our internal world. By understanding those functions we can better understand ourselves.
Exiles
Exiles appear in formative moments of pain, shame, or trauma. Generally considered to be young, they are parts the mind has pushed away to keep the entire ecosystem from experiencing their pain and devastation. Protector parts keep these exiles under control to keep the rest of the system safe. But in reality, caring for these parts—letting them feel seen and honored is one of the best ways to achieve internal harmony.
Protectors
- Protectors are in charge of dealing with the exiles. Their job is to protect them and to protect you *from* them.
- Managers: These are the parts in charge of caring for daily functions. They protect us from embarrassment, help us manage situations in socially acceptable ways, and do things like make sure we are feeding ourselves and sleeping properly. These parts are crucial, but when they become dysregulated, they are often responsible for things like crippling perfectionism or aggressive self-criticism.
- Firefighters: These are the parts that appear when exile parts get triggered and the managers’ strategies have failed. They are there to distract us from the exile’s pain. Things like self-harm or drug/alcohol abuse are common symptoms of dysregulated fire fighter parts. Like managers, they want to get the system back to normal functioning, but their responses are often more extreme.
These protector parts sound negative, but they are trying to do a job. They know those exile parts will cause the whole system pain, and they want to suppress them to keep your system functioning. They are the body’s defense system and only cause difficulties because they don’t know how to cope in healthy ways.
The Self
Separate from the protectors and exiles is the Self. The self is at the core of who we are. It is our essential nature—our curious, calm, and compassionate center. In an ideally balanced system, Self would be the one leading all the parts. It would mediate their instincts, care for the exiles, and help the manager and firefighters use their talents to create a harmonious inner life free of conflict. The problem comes when the parts become so dysregulated and numerous that we lose sight of the Self. It can become so blended with the other parts that it is prevented from fulfilling its role as guide. IFS is all about learning how to talk to our parts and step away from them so that the Self can be found again. And once that has happened, the parts will learn to trust the Self enough to take guidance and direction from it. In this way, we become centered and steady and able to truly understand ourselves.
Who is IFS useful for?
IFS was originally created to work with eating disorders, but now is used for a multitude of mental health issues. People living with anxiety, depression, PTSD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and many other concerns have found IFS to be a helpful therapy style. It is a less pathologizing form of therapy, so those who are frustrated with constant labels and diagnoses may find it helpful. IFS is less about finding an immediate solution and more about learning how to become more Self-led and internally harmonious.
What To Expect
An IFS session will be held between you and an IFS certified therapist. The process looks somewhat different for every client because of their differing needs and experiences. Generally, the process starts with the therapist helping you get to know your parts. You will identify which parts are most present and start asking them questions about what their function is and what they want. As this happens, you will learn how to ask those parts to ‘unblend’ or disentangle themselves from Self so you can access it. Eventually, when you question your parts from the curious and compassionate perspective of the Self, the protector parts will trust you enough to let you work directly with the exiled parts. The work then becomes about listening to and healing the exiles through a process called ‘unburdening’, which involves letting the exiles feel seen and helping them heal and integrate safely back into the whole system.
Internal Family Systems therapy is unique because of its emphasis on self-compassion. According to Alessio Rizzo, “We are used to judging ourselves harshly for having certain behaviors. Too often we are our worst judge and our worst persecutor. IFS Therapy offers a safe and proven method to change our inner world”. It is about accepting every part of us and learning that each part is trying to help. With the help of a qualified therapist, we can retrain the parts that are causing harm and teach them better coping methods. Ifs helps us learn who we are at our core and teaches us how to lead our internal lives with curiosity and confidence.
If you are interested in Internal Family Systems Therapy, you can [book an appointment] with an IFS certified therapist at Issa Behavioral Counseling and start your journey towards healing and self-acceptance.
No Comments