Getting to Know IFS

Understanding Internal Family Systems:

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a transformative, evidence-based psychotherapy model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. At its core, IFS suggests that the mind is myriad and multiple, and this multiplicity is a strength, not a flaw. Rather than viewing conflicting thoughts or emotions as signs of pathology, IFS understands them as parts of a larger internal system—each with its own perspective, role, and history.

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The Core Concepts of IFS

IFS posits that every person is made up of different “parts,” each playing a unique role in their psychology. These parts are not just fleeting thoughts or emotions—they’re complex inner subpersonalities that interact with one another and with the outside world. They are often contradictory and incongruent. In IFS, these parts generally fall into three categories:

• Managers: Protective parts that try to maintain control of the inner and outer world to prevent pain. Organizers, inner critics, and analyzers are forms of managers.

• Firefighters: Reactive parts that emerge when needed. They try to distract or numb the system through impulsive behaviors, addictions, or dissociation. Drug abuse, risky sex, and dangerously fast driving are forms of firefighters.

• Exiles: Parts that carry the burdens of past wounds, often related to trauma, shame, or grief. They are usually suppressed or “exiled” to protect the system from overwhelming emotion. Exiles are like our wounded inner-children, trapped and bleeding out in the corner, and yearning to be heard.

  
  
  
  

At the center of this system is the Self—a calm, compassionate, confident inner presence. IFS says that everyone has a Self, and that the Self, when accessed, can lead the internal system with wisdom and healing.

How IFS Therapy Works

An IFS therapist guides patients to become aware of their parts, build relationships with them, and understand their roles and intentions. Importantly, IFS is a non-pathologizing model: even parts that engage in “harmful” or “extreme” behavior are seen as trying to help in the only way they know how.

The therapeutic process often includes:

• Identifying and unblending from parts that dominate the internal system.

• Connecting with the Self to bring curiosity, compassion, and calm attention to wounded parts.

• Gaining insight into how parts developed, and helping them release outdated beliefs or burdens.

• Creating a new internal dynamic that allows for healing, integration, and balance.

Why People Choose IFS

IFS is widely used for a range of psychological challenges, including:

• Trauma and PTSD

• Anxiety and depression

• Eating disorders

• Addiction

• Relationship issues

• Inner critic and self-esteem struggles

  
  

What makes IFS unique is that it fosters deep self-understanding without pushing patients to “fix” themselves. Instead, it cultivates resilience, and lasting emotional change from within. IFS does not normatively judge our inner parts or our Selves; every part is seen as having a job to do and contributing value.

IFS in Practice

IFS is experiential. Sessions often involve internal dialogues, visualization, and mindful attention to the body and emotions. For example, a patient might be guided to explore the part of them that’s afraid to speak up in relationships, understand its fear, and help it connect with the Self. Over time, parts that once operated in extreme or reactive ways can become less burdened and more integrated.

Internal Family Systems offers a hopeful and respectful way to approach healing. Rather than fighting or judging parts of ourselves, IFS teaches us to listen, understand, and transform them through connection with the Self. Whether you're working through trauma, seeking personal growth, or just trying to understand yourself better, IFS opens the door to a more compassionate and integrated way of being.

If you are interested in learning more about IFS or would like to experience it for yourself, contact us.