What is Internal Family Systems and Parts Work?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) and other types of parts work, such as Ego State Therapy, view our personality as being made up of “parts". You can think of your parts almost like sub-personalities, each you, but each with their own thoughts, feelings, sensations, beliefs, and so on. 

As we go through life, our parts develop relationships with one another, forming a complex inner system. All parts of this system have positive intentions for your wellbeing, however, experiences that cause stress, trauma, or pain can push parts into extreme roles and lead to inner conflicts. 

IFS and parts-based therapies use techniques from family therapy to work with the relationships between parts of you. The aim is to de-escalate inner conflicts and help your parts work together as a team. 

Specific to IFS is also the assumption that we’re more than our parts. Beyond our parts, we all have access to an energy that is assured, relaxed, and compassionate. IFS calls this the Self. The role of the Self is to lead the inner system of parts, bringing to it a sense of harmony and balance. When parts have been pushed into extreme roles, however, there may not be much space for the Self.

The goal of IFS therapy is two-fold: to create more room for the Self to lead the inner system, and to help parts in extreme roles let go of what keeps them in those roles and return to a more balanced expression. 

What does Internal Family Systems and Parts Work look like?

I practice IFS informed therapy and incorporate interventions from Ego State Therapy and trauma-informed parts models. In session, this can look like:

• Using props or drawing to map out your inner system 

• Identifying parts of you and exploring how they show up in your mind and body

• Exploring the roles of your parts and the relationships between parts of you 

• Visualizations, meditations, and exercises to differentiate from or connect with parts, deepen your experience of Self, or help parts metabolize the impact of stressful, painful, or traumatic events