Internal Family Systems Therapy
Finding inner harmony with all the parts that make you who you are.
We all have parts of ourselves that we love and appreciate and other parts that we find challenging and painful. Internal Family Systems is a type of therapy that helps us open up compassion and curiosity for these parts. IFS views all of our parts as integral to making us who we are and guides us in acknowledging, embracing and healing our wounded parts in the process.
Looking for support?
If you are interested in finding out more about yourself and living a more comfortable and fulfilling life, we’d love to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. When you’re ready we can help.
What is Internal Family Systems?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) - created in the 1980s by Richard C. Schwartz, an American marriage and family therapist - is a type of therapy that provides a specific way of looking at ourselves. According to IFS, we are all made up of a core Self and a series of parts. The core Self is us at our best, when we feel the most centred and authentic. Characteristics of the Self are embodied by the eight Cs and the five Ps:
The eight Cs are: Calm, Curiosity, Clarity, Connectedness, Compassion, Courage, Confidence, Creativity
The five Ps are: Presence, Patience, Perspective, Persistence, Playfulness
Parts are defined as the different sub-personalities that make up all the pieces (with the core Self) of our internal system. Parts develop with us as we grow and evolve, but can take on more pronounced characteristics in an effort to protect us from pain. In this sense, all parts have good intentions. We might become more aware of the presence of our parts when we feel strong emotions, have intense thoughts, bodily sensations or see images in our mind’s eye. This “inner family” of parts interacts with one another (similar to how family members interact) and can sometimes create barriers to accessing the core Self, our internal leader, leaving us stressed, reactive and feeling depleted.
What are the benefits of IFS Therapy?
The IFS model can be used with individuals, couples and families. It can be used with any issue you are dealing with such as shame, fear and anxiety, grief, and depression as well as more complex mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder, substance use disorders, and obsessive compulsive disorder. It has also been shown to be very helpful to people who have experienced trauma and abuse.
Why everwell?
At everwell, many of our therapists use the IFS model in their work. We are also lucky to have David McCallum, our very own IFS trained (Level 2) therapist doing this work exclusively. If you are curious about IFS therapy and would like to learn more, please click here for a free consultation.
“Each part - as scary or illuminating or mysterious as it may appear to be - can offer wisdom and solace and vision.”
― Alanis Morissette
“Parts are little inner beings who are trying their best to keep you safe.”
― Richard C. Schwartz, No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
Average Cost
$160.00 ( per 50 minute session )
