Internal Family Systems Therapy

Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) 

Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) 

Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) 

Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) 

From yee Wiki:

The Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) is an integrative approach to individual psychotherapy developed by Richard C. Schwartz. It combines systems thinking with the view that mind is made up of relatively discrete "subpersonalities" each with its own viewpoint and qualities. IFS uses family systems theory to understand how these collections of subpersonalities are organized.

Parts

IFS sees consciousness as composed of various "parts" or subpersonalities, each with its own perspective, interests, memories, and viewpoint. A core tenet of IFS is that every part has a positive intent for the person, even if its actions or effects are counterproductive or cause dysfunction. This means that there is never any reason to fight with, coerce, or try to eliminate a part; the IFS method promotes internal connection and harmony.

Parts can have either "extreme roles" or healthy roles. IFS focuses on parts in extreme roles because they are in need of transformation through therapy. IFS divides these parts into three types—managers, exiles, and firefighters.

Managers

Managers are parts with preemptive protective roles. They handle the way a person interacts with the external world to protect them from being hurt by others and try to prevent painful or traumatic feelings and experiences from flooding a person's awareness.

Exiles

Exiles are parts that are in pain, shame, fear, or trauma, usually from childhood. Managers and Firefighters try to exile these parts from consciousness, to prevent this pain from coming to the surface.

Firefighters

Firefighters are parts that emerge when exiles break out and demand attention. These parts work to distract a person's attention from the hurt or shame experienced by the exile by leading them to engage in impulsive behaviors like overeating, drug use, violence, or having inappropriate sex. They can also distract from the pain by causing a person to focus excessively on more subtle activities such as overworking, over-medicating.

Self

IFS also sees people as being whole, underneath this collection of parts. Everyone has a true self or spiritual center, known as the Self to distinguish it from the parts. Even people whose experience is dominated by parts have access to this Self and its healing qualities of curiosity, connectedness, compassion, and calmness. IFS sees the therapist's job as helping the client to disentangle themselves from their parts and access the Self, which can then connect with each part and heal it, so that the parts can let go of their destructive roles and enter into a harmonious collaboration, led by the Self. IFS explicitly recognizes the spiritual nature of the Self, allowing the model to be helpful in spiritual development as well as psychological healing.

The Internal System

IFS focuses on the relationships between parts and between the Self. The goal of IFS is to have a cooperative and trusting relationship between the Self and each part. There are three primary types of relationships between parts:

Protection

Managers and Firefighters protect exiles from harm and protect the person from the pain of Exiles.

Polarization

Two parts are polarized when they are battling each other to determine how a person feels or behaves in a certain situation. Each part believes that it must act as it does in order to counter the extreme behavior of the other part. IFS has a method for working with polarized parts.

Alliance

Two parts may be allied with each other if they are working together to accomplish the same aim.

On the Reading Table: "Instant Emotional Healing" and "The Body KeepsScore"

Peter Lambrou and George Pratt

Drawing on techniques ranging from focused thought to breathing and acupressure, Peter Lambrou and George Pratt guide readers through an Emotional Self-Management program, which they contend will dramatically accelerate the therapeutic process. 

Clinical psychologists who are experienced in hypnosis, Lambrou (co-author with Brian Alman of "Self-Hypnosis: The Complete Manual for Health and Self-Change") and Pratt ("A Clinical Hypnosis Primer") have found that the healing of anxiety, phobias, and other emotional traumas is often delayed because of "energy blockages" that can stem from "polarity reversals in a person’s electromagnetic field." 

According to the authors, relief from chronic symptoms, often instantaneous, can be achieved once these blockages are cleared. ESM includes identifying emotional states, breathing and tapping along pathways, or meridians (the same ones used in acupuncture), to release energy for healing. 

Stories of patients, including children and teenagers, who have found relief through ESM provide a glimpse into a variety of applications. Those familiar with traditional Chinese medicine, the chakra system or Carolyn Myss’ work will likely find much of this material oversimplified, but for those who are new to energy medicine, this is a good introduction to techniques that can be self-administered without risk of physical harm.

Bessel van der Kolk

Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma: A pioneering researcher and one of the world’s foremost experts on traumatic stress offers a bold new paradigm for healing

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Such experiences inevitably leave traces on minds, emotions, and even on biology. Sadly, trauma sufferers frequently pass on their stress to their partners and children.

Renowned trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring -- specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including neurofeedback, mindfulness techniques, play, yoga, and other therapies. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score offers proven alternatives to drugs and talk therapy -- and a way to reclaim lives. 

Coping with Tragic News for Sensitive People

By Barbara Markway Ph.D. 

How sensitive people can take care of themselves in the face of bad news.

Sensitive people need to guard against sensory overload in the face of tragic news stories. Here are some things that may help.

Expect that Your Reactions Will Be More Intense: 

Simply knowing that you may react more strongly than others can help. Expect that emotions may come and go, and last longer than for other people.

Don’t Beat Up on Yourself for Your Sensitivity: 

For years I had a love-hate relationship with my sensitivity, but I’m finally starting to accept it. It’s likely that your temperament simply makes you wired to experience things deeply. This can be a good thing, but obviously proves trying when tragic events happen.

Limit or Eliminate TV/Visual News Sources: 

Sensitive people are more likely to become over-stimulated with visual images. It’s easier to control the amount of news you’re taking in when it’s in written form.  

Soothe Your Senses: 

Listen to quiet music, take a hot bath, or light a scented candle. I like to sit with my dogs in my lap and watch a candle flicker in the window. 

Reach Out: 

Call a friend, your spouse, a parent, or anyone with whom you feel close. Connection with others will calm your nervous system—even if you’re an introvert.

Practice Your Faith: 

If you believe in prayer, pray.  If you practice loving-kindness meditation, this is the perfect time for it. Anything that connects you with a sense of something larger will help soothe the raw edges.

Avoid If You Need To: 

In general, we’re told not to avoid our feelings. But for people who are sensitive, sometimes it’s just too much to feel everything all at once. By all means, if you need to temporarily escape in a way that doesn’t harm you, give yourself permission to do so.

Focus on the Helpers: 

This quote went viral after the Newtown shootings, and I can see why. It gives people something concrete and positive to think about.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers - so many caring people in this world.” — Mister Rogers

Practice Self-Compassion:

Recognize that this is a difficult time for yourself. It’s hard being a sensitive person in this world and feeling things so deeply. Give yourself what you need. Be a good friend to yourself.