Internal Family Systems - IFS Therapy
Fast results with IFS Therapy and Parts Work.
What is Internal Family Systems - IFS therapy?
Internal Family Systems (IFS therapy) is a compassionate, evidence-based model that helps you understand and heal your internal system.
This is a highly effective modality of therapy that is difficult to find skilled therapists in. At FreeMind, several of our therapists are trained in this and we even have a Certified IFS therapy provider.
Each “part” of you, whether angry, anxious, depressed or stuck, has a reason for being there.
IFS therapyallows you to connect with yourself and heal those parts.
Do you feel like you are fighting with yourself? Like someone is pulling you left and right, as if one part of your body wants to move forward and the other wants to stay put.
Maybe you feel stuck in patterns that you can’t seem to change. We understand that this can be exhausting, and IFS therapy can help.
How can Internal Family Systems -IFS therapy heal you.
What if you can make peace with all those parts and feel calmer and grounded? That is what Internal Family Systems/IFS therapy focuses on.
It’s not traditional talk therapy.
It also doesn’t just erase your past and problems. It’s about listening to the parts of you that are impacted and hurting, understanding them and making them feel safe.
Your parts are not broken; they are just helping you survive. With IFS therapy, you can bring these parts of yourself into balance so you can feel calmer and clearer.
What Internal Family Systems - IFS therapy can help with
Internal Family Systems can help with many issues – below are just a few of the many:
Traumatic memories are often carried by exiled parts of us. IFS therapy gently heals them so you can feel safe.
In IFS therapy, anxiety can often be a part of you that is working overtime to protect you. IFS helps it feel safe, so you can feel calm.
Depression can be a part that is shutting everything down, keeping you from feeling pain. IFS therapy brings compassion and the lightness back.
Anger Management
Anger often shows up as a protector part, which can be guarding you from a deeper pain. IFS therapy helps it be heard without it taking over.
When different parts of you push and pull in opposite directions, it can feel overwhelming. IFS therapy helps you listen to each part so things feel calmer inside.
The inner critic is a part that is trying to protect you from being hurt. With IFS, it helps soften that grip so you can feel and see your worth.
These parts are trying to protect you from rejection or disappointment. IFS helps them step back so you can choose freely.
Old protective parts, like fear of abandonment, criticism, or conflict, often drive relational patterns. IFS helps you connect from the Self instead of from old wounds.
What does an IFS session look like?
Imagine you enter your session with issues like work stress is wearing you down. You may not be sleeping well or snapping at your partner or family more. No matter how hard you try to keep work at work, your thoughts keep circling back, leaving you drained.
Once the therapist has gained an understanding of your issues, they will start to guide you into a more relaxed state to help you focus more on your body and mind. The therapist will then begin to ask you what you feel during certain work-related things, such as checking your work email. Maybe you notice tightness in the shoulders, butterflies in the stomach, or just a restless energy you can’t seem to shake. Instead of being hard on yourself and judging it or even avoiding it, in the session, you are invited to learn more about it and understand it.
In that moment, you gain a memory of yourself in third grade, getting scolded by a teacher for forgetting your homework.
From there, your IFS therapist might explore this younger part of yourself. They will guide you in asking your younger part what it is afraid of. Acknowledging and appreciating this younger part helps you understand what is protecting you and why. After knowing this, you will leave the session lighter.
An IFS therapy session is more about slowing down and noticing what is happening inside you rather than just talking to your therapist. It’s a true mind-body therapy. Here is a step by step list of what you can expect:
You will bring in an issue, maybe stress, anxiety, or a pattern you want to change.
Your therapist will guide you to notice what’s happening in your body, tension, restlessness, or an emotional pull.
Often a memory or a younger version of yourself will show up. Instead of pushing it away you can explore itin session.
You will discover what this part is protecting you from with the support of your IFS therapist.
You will leave the session, acknowledging this part. You will leave lighter and respond to the feelings differently in the future.
Why does Internal Family Systems - IFS therapy work so well?
Internal Family Systems is one of the best, most sought after brain-based therapies available today.
IFS therapy goes beyond talk therapy. Instead of just talking about your problems and struggles you face, you can actually connect with the different “parts” of yourself that are correlated to these issues and become empowered over them.
Once you take the time to understand these parts, you no longer have to push so hard, and you end up feeling clearer and more in control.
You won’t be just telling your story; you will experience real change in that moment. You will discover ways to work with the parts of yourself instead of suppressing and avoiding them.
How to get started?
Our Internal Family Systems (IFS therapists) are experienced therapists who understand what it means to be emotionally tangled up.
They bring in clinical experience and real-world knowledge to help provide a safe, non-judgmental, empathetic space.
You can schedule a consultation with one of our IFS therapists here. Or you can contact us here, ask for IFS therapy, and our Client Care Coordinator will get you set up.
Our IFS Therapists
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