Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems

Everyone can relate to what it’s like to think and feel one way, only to notice you have quickly shifted into a completely different, if not opposite, way of thinking and feeling. You may say something like, “Part of me wants to make new friends, but part of me is afraid of taking risks.” Or, “part of me wants to remain calm and thoughtful, and part of me wants to lash out and hurt someone.” Internal Family Systems (IFS) practitioners believe that in this context, these “parts” are universally present in everyone, and parts are always there to try and help us. In Internal Family Systems terms, parts are distinct feeling states associated with distinct thoughts, which can be felt in or around the body. Fear can be present to help us detect or escape danger. We might feel fear in the stomach or the chest. Anger may be present to motivate us to seek justice. We might experience irritation as tightened fists or shoulders. These emotional responses are biological and necessary for survival.

Internal Family Systems as a Therapy

IFS is a therapeutic model that treats these “parts” as internal entities, quite literally like our own internal family system. And just like a family in the external world, the internal family can experience chaos, conflict, and suffering. When a person experiences intense or prolonged stress, abuse, or trauma, these “parts” try to help the person by becoming more intense, which is adaptive at the time. Sadly, this same intense response can be triggered in subsequent situations, which can be disruptive to the individual. For example, Anxiety that helps a child detect or escape abuse may later encourage the individual to avoid activities such as school, work, driving, or socializing. IFS views these responses as expressions of the “Parts” that are trying to help but cannot realize they are now causing distress. The Internal Family Systems therapist acts as a guide to help the individual learn to trust, communicate with and cooperate with their parts, and eventually heal those wounded parts.