Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy operates on the belief that everyone has multiple sub-personalities. When these sub-personalities are in conflict this can lead to problems with the individual’s behavior. IFS Therapy works to make the person aware of these parts of their personality, healing those that have been damaged to correct any problematic behavior.
The idea of Internal Family Systems Therapy began in the 1980s by Richard C. Schwartz PhD. His early research was founded on the belief that the brain has different areas related to beliefs, feelings, and expectations. When one of these parts is not operating properly and cohesively with the rest, you may begin to see problems in your overall well-being.
How Does Internal Family Systems Therapy Work
Through IFS Therapy, the patient will get to know the three different parts of their brain, manager parts, firefighter parts, and exile parts. The role of the manager is to avoid situations that might bring emotional pain. The firefighter parts will work to minimize pain, often based on a traumatic event. Exile parts are the area of the brain that carry the pain and trauma. Each of these parts plays an important role, and when working cohesively together will function as one. IFS Therapy will show the patient how past trauma and experiences may have affected the imbalance of these three parts, causing one part to become more dominant. Processing and understanding these feelings through IFS Therapy will take the patient through many stages including recognizing the pain, validating their feelings, and offering comfort for the trauma that was experienced.
Benefits of IFS Therapy
The primary goal of Internal Family Systems Therapy is to gain a better understanding of yourself. Talk therapy with a therapist trained in the IFS approach can help you to understand why you are the way that you are. Healing from a past trauma is also a big part of IFS Therapy. By gaining a better understanding of yourself and healing your past, you can live a happier and more balanced life. Any unwanted coping behaviors, including substance abuse, can be addressed with other tools to prevent this type of behavior in the future.
Who Can Benefit from Internal Family Systems Therapy
Those struggling with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder can all benefit from IFS Therapy. Anyone who struggles with low self-esteem, shame, and self-sabotaging through poor decision making can also see relief through Internal Family Systems Therapy. Those that may have struggled with and felt marginalized by their identities, including their sexual preference, race, and cultural background can begin to heal these wounds through IFS Therapy.
IFS Therapy is not right for everyone. This is not the best therapy choice if you suffer from delusions, schizophrenia, or some form of dementia. Those individuals that are not able to be honest with themselves will not benefit from Internal Family Systems Therapy.
This is a great therapy tool to gain a better understanding of yourself and why your behaviors are the way that they are, making positive changes along the way.
