Internal Family Systems Informed Therapy
Healing means accepting all parts of ourselves, not just the parts that we like, but all of us. -Louise Hay
Have you ever said, 'part of me feels like ..., but another part feels like...'? If you have, IFS could be for you!
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IFS is a newer form of therapy developed by Richard Shwartz. This style of therapy believes each person is a sum of their parts, meaning that each person has multiple parts of who they are. For example, a caretaking part, an angry part, a sad part, a carefree part or a logical part as well as our core selves (also called a true self and is considered to be similar to a persons soul). All of these parts work together in a system, serve a purpose and help us live our lives. Unfortunalty, some of these parts are maladaptive or are vulnerable and they don't serve us well. Through IFS work identification of the parts and the role they play in our lives can help us understand ourselves more deeply and accept ourselves as a whole.
IFS encourages inner and outer connectivity to help people discover their true selves and come to can understanding and heal other parts in their systems. This is done by using the 8 C's and the 5 P's of the true self; 1) Confidence, 2) Calm, 3) Compassion, 4) Courage, 5) Creativity, 6) Clarity, 7) Curiosity and 8) Connectedness. The P's include; 1) Presence, 2) Patience, 3) Perspective, 4) Persistence and 5) Playfulness. The 8 C's and the 5 P's will help you develop a healthy relationship with yourself as well as others in your life.
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Please watch the below video by Dr. Richard Shwartz for further explanation about IFS
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Recommended Resources
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IFS Institue