What is IFS

IFS is a model of the mind and a therapeutic modality for healing.

The IFS model says that the mind is multiple, rather than one – that we have different “parts” of ourselves with different needs, desires, patterns, personalities, and gifts. We can learn to make contact with these parts, have conversations to learn about them and help them heal.

To learn more about Internal Family Systems therapy go to IFS therapy page

Getting Started With IFS

Getting started with IFS can be as simple as bringing up something you’re thinking or feeling a lot about, and asking what different parts of you think about it. For example, you might be in a difficult situation at work, and part of you feels frustrated with a colleague, while part of you feels sad and abandoned because it’s reminded of a similar situation in your childhood.

Once you’ve identified different parts that are feeling things about the situation, you can choose one to work with and begin to have a conversation with it. What is that part of you thinking or feeling? Where did it come from? What does it need from you?

There is a lot more nuance to this method, but it can also be this simple: noticing that there are different parts of you, and having a dialogue with those parts. While it’s best to try with a therapist or someone who’s familiar with IFS, it’s also something you can try on your own.