IFS therapy, which stands for Internal Family Systems therapy, is a form of psychotherapy that views the human mind as containing multiple "parts,” each with their own thoughts, feelings, and motivations, and aims to help individuals identify, understand, and heal these parts by fostering a connection with their true "Self" to achieve inner harmony and balance; essentially treating the different aspects of oneself as if they were members of a family, with the goal of bringing them together in a healthy way.

The goal of IFS therapy is to help individuals access and develop their "Self" so they can better understand and connect with their different parts, rather than trying to suppress them.

What can IFS treat?

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD)

• Eating disorders

• Trauma

• Relationship issues

• Pain disorders

• Stress reduction

• Addictions

• Sexual and/or physical abuse

• Body dysmorphic disorders

• Personality disorders

• Panic Disorders

• Physical health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis

• And more!

IFS was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Richard Schwartz, PhD. In the brief video below, Dr. Schwartz introduces the model.

As a family therapist, Schwartz observed clients describing their inner lives as “parts,” which he defines as “conflicted sub-personalities that resided within them.”

Schwartz began tracking the internal interactions between parts and noted they were not static, but flexible to change. Drawing on these observations and his knowledge of systems theory, structural family therapy, narrative therapy, and Bowenian schools of family therapy, Schwartz created the internal family systems model.

In the IFS model, human behavior and identity are based on an individual’s complex system—consisting of an indeterminate number of parts and subpersonalities, each with valuable qualities that play a specific role. (Adapted from Simple Practice’s Pollen blog written by Olivia Pennelle, July 2023)