Mental health challenges affect individuals from all walks of life. Fortunately, there are a plethora of mental health treatments available to help address these challenges, each with its unique impacts on wellness and recovery. One especially valuable approach to mental health treatment is known as internal family systems (IFS) therapy, which enables individuals to foster self-acceptance of all of the sub-personalities that lie within their mental system. By identifying and accepting each of these “parts,” an individual can strengthen their confidence and willingness to change to, essentially, work toward becoming the best version of themselves as they heal in treatment.
At Wisconsin Wellness, we offer outpatient mental health treatment to individuals who are seeking to enhance and improve their lives. Our treatment programs differ from other treatment facilities in that they are built on elements of compassion, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and responsive attunement. While we offer a variety of treatment approaches for clients, we believe in the value of IFS therapy for aiding in self-acceptance and long-term transformation. Meanwhile, learning more about IFS and its ability to restore self-harmony can be instrumental in an individual’s healing and recovery journey.
Understanding the Role of Psychotherapy In Healing
Before discussing IFS and its importance in treatment, it is first necessary to address the overall role of psychotherapy in the healing process. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Psychotherapy (also called talk therapy) refers to a variety of treatments that aim to help a person identify and change troubling emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.” Contrary to what some may believe, however, participation in psychotherapy involves more than merely venting or talking about personal problems. Rather, it involves building a therapeutic relationship with a mental health professional who will individualize sessions based on the client’s unique needs and goals for recovery.
Therapists and other mental health professionals may utilize one psychotherapeutic approach or combine elements of several approaches when working with clients. Some of the most common psychotherapeutic approaches used in mental health treatment include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
- Acceptance and commitment therapy
- Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
- Motivational interviewing
- Internal family systems (IFS) therapy
Meanwhile, each of these forms of psychotherapy offers unique benefits for individuals. For example, approaches like CBT can help individuals become aware of automatic patterns of thoughts and behavior that may be harming their lives. Similarly, CBT empowers individuals to better understand the connections that exist between their thoughts, emotions, and actions.
Other elements of psychotherapy, as highlighted by NIMH, can guide individuals in:
- Applying emotional regulation techniques, such as mindfulness, when faced with challenging emotions
- Examining interactions with others while developing essential social and communication skills
- Identifying effective ways to cope with stress
- Tracking emotions and behaviors to better recognize their impact on one another
- Creating safety plans to prevent self-harm and other maladaptive behaviors
It is important to understand that, despite what some may think, psychotherapy is not reserved only for those who are struggling with a severe mental disorder. Rather, psychotherapy is available to all individuals who may benefit from it. Participating in psychotherapy is a proactive step toward wellness, as it ensures that individuals are prioritizing their healing and, in turn, minimizing the risk of future harm.
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Moving From Resistance to Acceptance
Indeed, many clients who participate in psychotherapy do so with the intent to alter their troubling patterns of thoughts or behavior. However, many individuals may be surprised to learn that even the most maladaptive thoughts and behaviors originally developed (often out of trauma) to protect their sense of self. By accepting the parts of an individual that have either been cast away, denied, or otherwise deemed unacceptable, that individual can strengthen their ability to both change and let go of the things that no longer serve them. This transformation of resistance to acceptance is what sets internal family systems (IFS) therapy apart from other psychotherapeutic approaches.
As explained in the Journal of Clinical Psychology, the IFS model “fosters clients’ acceptance of all parts of themselves no matter how destructive” and highlights “how that acceptance can lead to the transformation of those parts and, in turn, of other people.” According to the IFS Institute website, IFS is not only an evidence-based approach to psychotherapy but also a way of understanding both personal and intimate relationships. Additionally, IFS guides an individual to live a life that is aligned with the eight C’s:
- Confidence
- Calm
- Compassion
- Courage
- Creativity
- Clarity
- Curiosity
- Connectedness
Put more simply, the IFS Institute webpage titled “What is Internal Family Systems?” provides the following overview of IFS therapy:
IFS is a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self. We believe the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Just like members of a family, inner parts are forced from their valuable states into extreme roles within us. Self is in everyone. It can’t be damaged. It knows how to heal… IFS creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts.
Basic Assumptions of the IFS Approach
When determining whether or not IFS therapy will be beneficial to an individual’s unique treatment and overall healing journey, it can be helpful to address the basic assumptions of the IFS model. Addressing these assumptions can also help individuals better understand the cognitive elements that are central to this psychotherapeutic approach.
According to the IFS Insitute webpage titled “The Internal Family Systems Model Outline,” the first assumption of the IFS model is that “[i]t is the nature of the mind to be subdivided into an indeterminate number of subpersonalities or parts.” Just as various brain systems work together to carry out unique functions and responsibilities, so do each individual’s subpersonalities/parts.
The second assumption is that “[e]everyone has a Self, and the Self can and should lead the individual’s internal system.” Remember, the Self equals the sum of all of an individual’s subpersonalities/parts.
Continuing, the third assumption of the IFS model is as follows: “The non-extreme intention of each part is something positive for the individual. There are no ‘bad’ parts, and the goal of therapy is not to eliminate parts but instead to help them find their non-extreme roles.” In an effort to achieve and sustain self-acceptance, an individual is reminded that even the most destructive parts of themselves exist to protect or defend them. Each person must learn how to make sense of their parts, learn why they exist, and integrate them so they feel heard and validated.
The fourth assumption is that “[a]s we develop, our parts develop and form a complex system of interactions among themselves; therefore, systems theory can be applied to the internal system. When the system is reorganized, parts can change rapidly.” Not only must an individual focus on the unique role(s) of each of their parts but also how these parts interact with one another and affect the outcome of the whole, core Self.
Lastly, the fifth assumption is that “[c]hanges in the internal system will affect changes in the external system and vice versa. The implication of this assumption is that both the internal and external levels of system should be assessed.” In other words, as an individual’s inner world begins to change, so too will their outer world. Preparing for these changes and knowing how to respond to them is essential for lasting healing and harmony for both systems.
As mentioned previously, our parts make up our core Self. Differentiating these two elements of the IFS model is essential for ensuring an appropriate and accurate understanding of the IFS system as a whole.
IFS: Categorizing the ‘Parts’ of Internal Family Systems
First, according to the aforementioned IFS Institute webpage titled “The Internal Family Systems Model Outline,” parts are subpersonalities, aspects of an individual’s personality that exist and interact in ways that are similar to how people interact in daily life. These parts may be experienced not only through thoughts and feelings but also through sensations, images, and more. Unconsciously speaking, ”All parts want something positive for the individual and will use a variety of strategies to gain influence within the internal system.” Thus, using a lens of acceptance, a central task of IFS is to “name and tame” each part that exists in an individual’s larger system, emphasizing the strengths of each part while also accepting their weaknesses.
In IFS therapy, parts can be categorized into three main types: exiles, managers, and firefighters. During IFS sessions, individuals will work with a mental health professional to bring awareness to the unique parts that exist within them. Protective and other “extreme” parts often carry “burdens,” defined by the IFS Institute as “energies that are not inherent in the function of the part and don’t belong to the nature of the part, such as extreme beliefs, emotions, or fantasies.” Meanwhile, a core facet of IFS sessions involves a mental health professional guiding the individual in unburdening the extreme parts of themselves so that they can return to their natural balance.
Exiles: Inner Children Wounded By Trauma
First, exiles are the youngest and, often, most vulnerable parts of an individual’s mental system, often referred to as “inner children.” These parts hold distressing feelings of hurt, fear, guilt, shame, and more that may result from early childhood experiences and memories. Exiles often become isolated from the rest of an individual’s system in an attempt to protect them from experiencing the ongoing effects of these parts. With IFS therapy, exiles can be integrated into the present moment, allowing individuals to heal from the pain that they have been carrying unconsciously.
Managers: The Dominant Parts
Next, managers are the dominant, protective parts that are responsible for running the day-to-day life of the individual. Managers also work to keep exiles in the background so they do not trigger distress. Although managers work to maintain control and stability with an individual’s internal family system, they can also be problematic and trigger perfectionism. On the contrary, some individuals may also have managers with more submissive characteristics, which can influence low self-esteem. In either case, unchecked managers can limit personal growth and trigger psychological concerns.
Firefighters: Extinguishers of Exiles
Lastly, firefighters are another type of protective part responsible for extinguishing the feelings of exiles when they are activated. Although they share the same goals as managers in keeping exiles away and out of sight, firefighters often use different strategies to do so. For instance, firefighters may turn to alcohol and drug use, binge-eating behaviors, and other maladaptive and self-harming behaviors in an attempt to extinguish and numb the feelings of exiles. Each person can have both good and bad firefighters – the task is to distinguish them from each other while minimizing the possible risk of harmful behaviors to Self and others.
IFS: Differentiating the ‘Self’ From Its ‘Parts’
While each part of an individual’s internal family system has unique reactions and responsibilities, it is important to not forget that each of these parts is filtered through the Self. According to the IFS Insitute website, the Self has a “[d]different level of entity than the parts – often in the center of the “you” that the parts are talking to or that likes or dislikes, listens to, or shuts out various parts.” Everyone has a Self, and when it is differentiated from its parts, the Self is self-assured and secure. Being able to alternate perspectives of a Self from its parts while also blending parts to create a stable Self can be especially valuable for visualizing and working toward wholeness.
Integrating Internal and External Family Systems
As individuals work to “name and tame” their unique parts, as well as identify a core Self, they will also be indirectly improving their relationships with external systems. For example, in IFS sessions, the way an individual learns to relate to their parts will directly influence how they can relate to the parts of others. As an individual learns to fully accept and embrace their exiles, they will likely feel called to empower others in accepting and integrating their exiles as well.
It is not uncommon for couples and families to engage in IFS therapy, whether alongside one another or individually. Although bringing together multiple systems can undoubtedly present challenges, it can also allow loved ones to flourish together by acknowledging the presence of various parts. It can also enable loved ones to hold each other accountable while being present in one another’s healing by asking what parts are speaking when. In other words, this allows individuals to come together to determine the best route of action for navigating invalidated or otherwise shamed parts when they surface.
Mental Health Treatment at Wisconsin Wellness
At Wisconsin Wellness, we are passionate about creating personalized treatment plans that are tailored to a client’s unique needs and goals for recovery. We utilize comprehensive and collaborative efforts by leveraging various resources, specialists, and interventions to address individual client needs. IFS is just one of many different treatment approaches we offer at our facility. Nevertheless, the opportunity to understand and integrate the multiple parts that exist as part of our internal system has proven to be extremely valuable in empowering individuals to become their most effective selves.
Meanwhile, no matter what combination of symptoms or diagnoses an individual may be struggling with, we have the tools and compassionate support necessary to enhance and improve each individual’s quality of life in the way that they yearn for. By supporting each aspect of the client – mental, physical, emotional, spiritual, family, and relational – we work with our clients to implement long-lasting healing in their lives. Allow our team of professionals to guide and support you as you heal.
Internal family systems (IFS) therapy is an evidence-based approach to psychotherapy that guides individuals in identifying and healing both protective and wounded inner parts of their larger, core Self. By naming and taming these parts, each individual can learn to accept their existence rather than challenge their resistance, thus integrating them into their daily life and recovery journey. At Wisconsin Wellness, IFS therapy is one of many therapeutic interventions that we offer for individuals seeking to enhance and improve their quality of life. Through collaborative care and personalized treatment, each client will have the opportunity to become the version of themselves that they have always wanted to be. Learn more about our outpatient treatment programs by calling (920) 404-2100.