Should You Try Internal Family Systems Therapy?
Key takeaways:
Internal family systems (IFS) therapy is built on the idea that each person has several “parts” of their personality that sometimes may be in conflict with one another.
IFS therapy works by helping you understand these parts of your personality and accessing an internal leader, called the “Self,” to guide your “inner family” system.
While more research is needed on IFS therapy, some evidence suggests it can improve your general well-being and may help with conditions like PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
Who among us hasn’t felt conflicting emotions at some point in our lives? For example, when you’re driven to wake up early and go for a run, you can also be exhausted and tempted to hit the snooze button. A part of you wants one thing, and another part of you wants something else.
This is totally normal. But sometimes, these conflicting feelings about what to do can be so extreme they cause problems in your life. Addressing these disruptive internal conflicts is foundational to the approach of internal family systems (IFS) therapy.
What is internal family systems therapy?
Internal family systems is a complex type of therapy built on the concept of having different “parts” of your personality. You can think of these parts as different members of your “inner family.” IFS helps you access what’s called your “Self,” an internal leader that helps manage these parts.
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Sometimes, the different parts of yourself have conflicting needs or feelings. When this happens, it may contribute to mental health symptoms. To help you heal, IFS therapy is designed to:
Help you balance the different parts of your inner family system
Develop a strong internal leader, referred to as the Self
Practice having your parts and Self work together
Move forward with a strong Self and more moderate versions of your parts
How does internal family systems therapy work?
IFS therapy is based in part on family therapy, only turned inward. You’re working with the parts of your inner family and developing an internal Self leader to help balance your system.
Parts in internal family systems therapy
According to IFS, the parts of your personality are either protective or vulnerable. Protective parts guard vulnerable parts from getting triggered. They also protect you from being overwhelmed by the pain carried by your vulnerable parts. Protective and vulnerable parts are further broken into three broad types, outlined below.
1. Managers
Managers are protective parts that help you function and stay in control in your daily life. Managers work to control your internal experiences and external environment.
But managers often go overboard. This might show up as:
Having an inner critic
Being preoccupied with your appearance
Overworking or overplanning
Demonstrating type A characteristics
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2. Firefighters
You can think of firefighters as another type of protective part that is working to douse the flames of intense emotions that are hard to cope with. In order to distract from these feelings, the firefighter may be tempted to:
Overeat
Misuse drugs or alcohol
Engage in impulsive behavior
3. Exiles
Exiled — or vulnerable — parts are areas of our personalities that we keep walled off and unexplored. According to IFS, we do this because these parts hold pain and other uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, and memories that we are afraid to experience.
Blocking out our vulnerable parts can allow us to function without becoming overwhelmed. But it also keeps these parts of ourselves stuck in the past, feeling helpless and wounded. In the logic of IFS, this brings about even more pain and suffering.
Developing your internal Self leader
Understanding the parts of your personality and their functions and feelings is only one aspect of IFS therapy. A large focus of treatment will be differentiating a Self that’s separate from your parts. Your Self will serve as the grounded leader for all of your parts.
In IFS therapy, you’ll work with your therapist to define and strengthen your Self. You’ll practice working with your vulnerable and protective parts from the point of view of the Self. And over time, as you get used to having your Self lead, you’ll feel more in control, relaxed, and confident.
What does internal family systems therapy help with?
More research is needed to understand what IFS therapy can help with. But early evidence suggests IFS psychotherapy can help improve your ability to function in daily life and well-being.
IFS may also help with:
Anxiety
Resilience
A confident sense of your identity, or self-concept
However, keep in mind that this is based on one small study involving people with rheumatoid arthritis. We can’t be sure the results were not due to chance. And we don’t know if these benefits will apply to people with other health conditions.
Other research suggests IFS may also help treat mental health concerns such as eating disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Internal family systems controversy
If you research IFS online, you may come across information about a controversy involving the practice. About 10 years ago, several lawsuits were filed by families who received IFS therapy at a treatment center in St. Louis.
It was alleged that therapists at the clinic pushed people to recover repressed memories — a controversial practice — of childhood abuse. The clinic’s clients later grew to believe the memories therapists pushed them to “recover” during treatment were false.
Keep in mind that this lawsuit, and the resulting bad publicity, doesn’t reflect on IFS therapy as a whole. Recovering repressed memories is not a goal of IFS therapy. Many mental health practitioners use IFS therapy to the benefit of their clients. So, if you have questions or concerns, talk with your therapist about them.
What to expect during internal family systems therapy
When you start IFS therapy, you likely won’t be aware that you have these distinct parts of your personality or how they affect you. But an IFS therapist will help you explore how these different parts play a role in your life. A key aim is to identify and understand different parts of yourself and resolve internal conflicts by developing a Self that can provide strong leadership for your internal parts.
During each IFS therapy session, you and your therapist will use different techniques, such as:
Body awareness
Guided imagery
Mindfulness-based practices
Diagrams
Journaling
Imagining the future
Exploring the past
For example, your therapist might guide you to pay attention to what you’re experiencing in the moment. You might notice a physical sensation like a knot in your stomach, a thought that keeps circling in your mind, or a feeling that’s causing distress.
Your therapist can then work with you to identify the part associated with these experiences. From there, you’ll explore what this part of yourself needs and what function it serves. By doing this, you can better address the needs of this part to reduce your distress.
How to find an internal family systems therapist
If you’re interested in finding an IFS therapist, look for a licensed mental health professional with specialized training in IFS. For example, you can explore therapists who have completed at least Level 1 training with the IFS Institute.
Prioritize being able to trust and feel connected to your therapist. Most therapists offer a brief, free consultation before getting started. Feel free to reach out to several therapists or try out a few sessions before you decide to stick with someone.
Consider creating a list of questions to ask a prospective therapist, such as:
What is your training and experience with IFS therapy?
What is your comfort level in working with the issues that I’m facing?
What are therapy sessions like with you?
Other things to consider when choosing a therapist include:
Whether you prefer in-person or online therapy
Whether you plan to pay for therapy with insurance or out of pocket
What your overall budget is for therapy
The bottom line
Internal family systems (IFS) therapy is built on the idea that each person has several parts to their personality. These parts are designed to protect you against hurt and pain. An IFS therapist will work with you to understand how conflicts between different parts of your personality impact your well-being. They’ll also support you in creating a better balance among these parts of yourself.
If you’re interested in IFS therapy, consider reaching out to a few licensed mental health professionals with IFS training to find a provider who feels like a good fit.
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References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Self-concept.
Baier, A. L., et al. (2020). Therapeutic alliance as a mediator of change: A systematic review and evaluation of research. Clinical Psychology Review.
Cara, E. (2017). The Most Dangerous Idea in mental health. Pacific Standard.
Haddock, S. A., et al. (2016). The efficacy of internal family systems therapy in the treatment of depression among female college students: A pilot study. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.
IFS Institute. (n.d.). IFS directory.
IFS Institute. (n.d.). The internal family systems model outline.
Klinger, D. (2020). All parts are welcome: Using the internal family systems model with individuals and partners, with (or without) trauma history. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Social Work Clinical Institute.
Lester, R. J. (2017). Self-governance, psychotherapy, and the subject of managed care: Internal Family Systems therapy and the multiple self in a US eating-disorders treatment center. American Ethnologist.
Lucero, R., et al. (2017). Using internal family systems theory in the treatment of combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and their families. Contemporary Family Therapy.
National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. (n.d). Internal family systems.
Patihis, L., et al. (2018). Reports of recovered memories of abuse in therapy in a large age-representative U.S. national sample: Therapy type and decade comparisons. Clinical Psychological Science.
Schwartz, R. C. (2013). Moving from acceptance toward transformation with internal family systems therapy (IFS). Journal of Clinical Psychology.
For additional resources or to connect with mental health services in your area, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357. For immediate assistance, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988, or text HOME to 741-741 to reach the Crisis Text Line.
