Struggling with inner conflicts and emotional turmoil, such as shame or unresolved anger, can leave many feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from themselves. For those seeking a deeper understanding of their inner struggles and why they feel the way they do, internal family systems (IFS) therapy offers a unique and effective approach to healing.

Despite the name, IFS is not a family therapy, but is based on principles of systemic family therapy. At its core, IFS therapy is designed to help individuals understand and harmonize the various parts of themselves that often seem at odds with one another. By recognizing and addressing a core “Self” and its parts, IFS therapy facilitates integration and fosters self-awareness, making it a powerful tool for personal growth and emotional well-being.

Understanding Systems Therapy

Systems therapy is a form of psychotherapy based on systems theory, the study of connected and interdependent components, whether biological organisms, business organizations, or psychological processes. While the focus is often on parts, systems theory emphasizes that the behavior of a whole system cannot be understood by its parts alone; rather, the relationship and interactions among the parts are crucial to understanding the system as a whole. Systems theory lends to the popular phrase “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

In psychology and therapy, systems theory is often applied to understand individuals in the context of their relationships and environments.

For instance, in family systems therapy, a person’s family is seen as a system where each member’s behavior is affected by the others. Each person’s familial role, communication patterns between individuals, and specific relationships between members influence how the whole family functions and the quality of its mental health. In turn, the quality of the family system will affect how the individual family members interact. For example, a person may see their role in their family system as the peacemaker, or view one parent as the “good cop” and the other parent as the “bad cop”. These patterns show us that families work as systems with each person having a role in the system.

Similarly, in internal family systems therapy (IFS), the mind is viewed as a Self composed of different subpersonalities, each with individual motivations and roles. Internal conflict and distress arise when these roles conflict with one another, and the Self cannot reconcile its separate parts. IFS aims to help these subcomponents work together and align with the Self’s beliefs and goals.

Is Internal Family Systems Therapy the Same as Family Therapy?

Despite the name, IFS is an individual talk therapy, not a type of family therapy. Both psychotherapies are based on principles of systems theory, and the reason IFS has its name is that it is based on the understanding that the mind’s composition of subpersonalities parallels the family unit’s composition of members.

While both therapies use the systems framework to evaluate the relationship between parts and the total system, IFS focuses on the individual’s psychological processes, and family therapy focuses on external relationships within a family.

However, IFS does emphasize that internal and external systems often parallel each other. That is, how the Self interacts with its subpersonalities often parallels how that person interacts with others; a person’s role in families or organizations influences the role of the Self’s subpersonalities.

Core Concepts of Internal Family Systems Therapy

IFS posits that the mind is made of multiple subpersonalities representing different emotions, desires, motivations, or aspects of an individual’s identity. This system is referred to as the “Self” with a capital ‘S,’ as opposed to the general “self”-concept. The Self is considered the core of a person’s identity, acting as the natural leader that guides and integrates different subpersonalities.

Both the Self and its parts want the best for the person. When the Self is in charge, it helps to create balance, allowing all parts to coexist and work together towards a central goal. However, when parts have separate goals and aren’t aligned, the Self becomes fragmented and can suffer in the process. IFS aims to heal the Self by integrating fragmented parts.

IFS categorizes parts into three main types — managers, exiles, and firefighters, which can be considered proactive, inactive, and reactive components of the Self.

1. Managers-Proactive: These parts seek to be in control and keep the Self safe, often proactively interacting with a person’s environment.
2. Exiles-Inactive: These parts carry pain or trauma from the past and have become repressed or hidden to protect the Self from the pain of interacting with those memories.
3. Firefighters-Reactive: These parts are impulsive and react to suppress or numb emotional pain, often pain that is brought up when exiles become active (brought to awareness).

IFS does not consider parts as good or bad, but rather necessary for the Self’s well-being. The goal is not to eliminate parts but to offer alternative goals and strategies for each part to work towards a central goal.

How Does Internal Family Systems Therapy Work?

IFS works by helping individuals understand and harmonize subpersonalities and their roles within the Self. The therapy aims to access the core Self by first identifying and understanding its parts.

• Therapists begin by guiding the individual in recognizing the Manager, Exile, and Firefighter sub-personalities and how they work together to keep the individual safe, in control, and calm but can create the opposite effect when they are in conflict.
• Once parts are identified, individuals begin to build a relationship with them. This process involves listening to each part’s concerns, needs, and the reasons behind their behaviors. The therapist helps the individual examine each part with curiosity and compassion, understanding how they interact to create the individual’s current dynamic.
• Ultimately, therapists help individuals restore the leadership of the Self by connecting the core personality (overarching beliefs and goals) with the individual parts so that each subpersonality can work together rather than in conflict.

For example, an individual may have trouble maintaining focus and motivation at work, often feeling anxious about her work performance and position in the company. Through IFS, she identifies a part of herself that constantly worries about making mistakes (Manager), another part that feels fear and shame from past mistakes she has made (Exile), and a third part that consistently reacts to feelings of shame through social media distractions (Firefighter).

Through therapy, she learns that the Manager is trying to protect her from embarrassment; the Exile is holding onto the pain of a past failure and fears being judged by others, and the Firefighter is trying to distract her from these uncomfortable feelings.

Her therapist helps her connect these aspects with her Self, allowing her to reassure her Manager (sub-personality) that she is capable of performing well, comfort the Exile by acknowledging her growth from past experiences, and negotiate with the Firefighter to take breaks when needed but not to distract herself from completing work tasks.

What Conditions Can Internal Family Systems Therapy Help With?

IFS has the highest application in treating mental health conditions that were influenced by adverse life experiences. Research supports IFS’ efficacy in treating the following conditions:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Anxiety Disorders
• Substance Use Disorders
• Depression

It has the greatest efficacy in treating PTSD and substance abuse, with research indicating that IFS can significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD, including depression, dissociation, and affect dysregulation (emotional control) in individuals with a history of childhood trauma. IFS is also effective in treating depression and anxiety disorders. By addressing the internal parts of subpersonalities that may have developed as protective mechanisms against trauma, IFS can help individuals heal from past experiences.

Take the Next Step in Your Healing Journey With Start My Wellness

Internal Family Systems therapy has a rather complicated theory behind it. However, when working with a well-trained healthcare professional, the concepts become easier to understand and work with. IFS offers a powerful and evidence-based approach to understanding and resolving inner conflicts by understanding and integrating various parts of the Self. IFS helps foster harmony and healing by facilitating a deeper connection with your core Self and its subpersonalities.

At Start My Wellness, we are committed to helping you explore and navigate internal issues and processes with IFS. Our experienced therapists, counselors, social workers, and nurse practitioners have the experience and training to guide you in healing from past wounds and achieving a balanced, fulfilling life. We believe in a compassionate, non-judgmental approach that empowers you to take control of your mental and emotional health.

If you’re ready to start the journey towards healing and self-discovery, contact us today at (248)-514-4955 and meet our therapists.

Sources

1. Encyclopedia of Human Behavior: Systems Theory
2. Forbes: What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
3. Start My Wellness: Family Therapy
4. IFS Institute: The Internal Family Systems Model Outline
5. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly: Systemic Integration of IFS Therapy and 12-Step Facilitation for Substance Use: A Theoretical Discussion
6. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma: Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Survivors of Multiple Childhood Trauma: A Pilot Effectiveness Study
7. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy: The Efficacy of Internal Family Systems Therapy in the Treatment of Depression Among Female College Students: A Pilot Study