Internal Family Systems
(IFS)

What is IFS?

IFS, which stands for Internal Family Systems, is not actually a family therapy, but a unique approach to individual therapy developed by Richard Schwartz. It’s based on the idea that our minds are made up not of just one personality, but of many different personalities, or “parts”.

This may seem a strange idea to begin with - we are used to thinking of ourselves as one person, not multiple personalities. But it starts to make much more sense once we look inside and investigate our own experience through this lens of multiplicity.

To illustrate this point, think back to a situation in which something triggered you to act disproportionately. How did you later feel about the way you acted? Were you ashamed, or frustrated with yourself? This is an experience we can all relate to. But who is frustrated with who? From the IFS perspective, one part of our mind is frustrated with how another part of our mind caused us to think or behave.  

IFS is a highly effective, evidence-based therapeutic methodology that works with this parts-based model of the mind to help us understand why the different parts of our mind do what they do, what they’re trying to protect us from, and how they conflict with other parts in our system. It is a method for getting to know yourself to a depth you never knew was possible. And it offers an approach for bringing harmony and healing to our conflicted internal system, by liberating our parts from the dysfunctional roles they are in. 

If you’re anything like I was when I first encountered IFS, you’re sceptical, but intrigued at this point. In other words, a part of you thinks this all sounds a bit fanciful, but another part of you wonders if there might be something to it. If this is the case, I encourage you to follow your intrigue. A great starting point is this 30 minute video, in which Richard Schwartz is interviewed, and does a brief demonstration.