What is Internal Family Systems?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based, holistic psychotherapy model that promotes a non-pathologizing approach to gaining peace within yourself. Therapists at Sea Glass are IFS-informed clinicians with extensive training and experience incorporating IFS into individual therapy, couples therapy, or EMDR.

An individual approach

Although the name includes the word “family,” IFS is an individual therapy. IFS holds the view that each one of us naturally has many “parts.” Each of these parts are viewed as subpersonalities - each with its own unique strengths, goals, memories, motivations, wisdom, maturity, and behaviors. According to IFS, how we get along with different parts of ourselves depends on our internal leadership skills, known in IFS as the Self. It is the Self that can heal the other parts of us.

No bad parts

A key tenet of IFS is that there are no bad parts of us. We may not like the behavior of some of our parts, but the part itself is not bad - in fact, it has a positive intention for the person! Where do parts come from? Read more here.

Does IFS involve my family?

No, IFS focuses on your internal system - you and all of your own parts! - as a whole.

Is IFS right for me?

IFS-informed therapy in Dublin, Ohio is shown to be helpful for reducing symptoms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and pain. It’s also helpful for regulating emotions, improving relationships, and improving problem-solving skills. It can be used to address specific issues or recurrent patterns of behavior.

What is the goal of IFS?

IFS seeks to help people increase their internal leadership skills - their sense of Self - and develop more compassion for the inner, wounded parts that are harder to love. IFS focuses on the relationship between your Self and your parts. The goal is to create a trusting relationship between Self and each part so that you can feel more connected and less inner turmoil.

What is the Self?

The Self is the internal leader, the core being of You. The Self possesses qualities of calmness, curiosity, confidence, courage, compassion, clarity, connectedness, and creativity. IFS holds that we function best when we have greater qualities of Self present, and when the Self is the one leading our lives, not our parts. Learn more about accessing the Self in IFS.

What are “parts” in IFS?

Parts are responsible for our beliefs and behaviors. Protective parts step in and operate for the Self when there is hurt and trauma.

IFS holds that parts generally fall into three categories: Exiles (younger, wounded parts, typically from childhood, that carry our pains and frustrations); Managers (functional, protective parts that operate in a preventative role to protect us from experiencing the exiles’ pain); and Firefighters (reactive, protective parts that operate in a destructive or distracting role to protect us from experiencing the exiles’ pain). All parts of you are welcome!