Internal Family Systems Model Explained

The Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) is an integrative approach to individual psychotherapy developed by Richard C. Schwartz in the 1980s.[1] [2] It combines systems thinking with the view that the mind is made up of relatively discrete subpersonalities, each with its own unique viewpoint and qualities. IFS uses systems psychology, particularly as developed for family therapy, to understand how these collections of subpersonalities are organized.[3]

Parts

See also: Personification and Subpersonality.

IFS posits that the mind is made up of multiple parts, and underlying them is a person's core or true Self. Like members of a family, a person's inner parts can take on extreme roles or subpersonalities. Each part has its own perspective, interests, memories, and viewpoint. A core tenet of IFS is that every part has a positive intent, even if its actions are counterproductive or cause dysfunction. There is no need to fight with, coerce, or eliminate parts; the IFS method promotes internal connection and harmony to bring the mind back into balance. IFS therapy aims to heal wounded parts and restore mental balance. The first step is to access the core Self and then, from there, understand the different parts in order to heal them.

In the IFS model, there are three general types of parts:[4]

  1. Exiles represent psychological trauma, often from childhood, and they carry the pain and fear. Exiles may become isolated from the other parts and polarize the system. Managers and Firefighters try to protect a person's consciousness by preventing the Exiles' pain from coming to awareness.[5]
  2. Managers take on a preemptive, protective role. They influence the way a person interacts with the external world, protecting the person from harm and preventing painful or traumatic experiences from flooding the person's conscious awareness.
  3. Firefighters emerge when Exiles break out and demand attention. They work to divert attention away from the Exile's hurt and shame, which leads to impulsive and/or inappropriate behaviors like overeating, drug use, and/or violence. They can also distract a person from pain by excessively focusing attention on more subtle activities such as overworking or overmedicating.

The internal system

IFS focuses on the relationships between parts and the core Self. The goal of therapy is to create a cooperative and trusting relationship between the Self and each part.

There are three primary types of relationships between parts: protection, polarization, and alliance.[6]

  1. Protection is provided by Managers and Firefighters. They intend to spare Exiles from harm and protect the individual from the Exile's pain.
  2. Polarization occurs between two parts that battle 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.
  3. Alliance is formed between two different parts if they're working together to accomplish the same goal.

IFS method

IFS practitioners report a well-defined therapeutic method for individual therapy based on the following principles. In this description, the term "protector" refers to either a manager or firefighter.

The first step is to help the client access the Self. Next, the Self gets to know the Protector(s), its positive intent, and develops a trusting relationship with it. Then, with the Protector's permission, the client accesses the Exile(s) to uncover the childhood incident or relationship which is the source of the burden(s) it carries. The Exile is retrieved from the past situation and guided to release its burdens. Finally, the Protector can then let go of its protective role and assume a healthy one.[7]

Critiques

Therapists Sharon A. Deacon and Jonathan C. Davis suggested that working with one's parts may "be emotional and anxiety-provoking for clients", and that IFS may not work well with delusional, paranoid, or schizophrenic clients who may not be grounded in reality and therefore misuse the idea of "parts".[8]

See also

Further reading

Books

Peer-reviewed articles

Notes and References

  1. Book: Minor . Amanda J. . Carlson . Jon . Dermer . Shannon B. . The SAGE Encyclopedia of Marriage, Family, and Couples Counseling . 2016 . SAGE Publications . 978-1-4833-6956-3 . https://books.google.com/books?id=K3tZDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT2068 . 28 January 2020 . en . Internal Family Systems Model . The Internal Family Systems (IFS) model was developed by Richard C. Schwartz in the 1980s and describes and integrative, nonpathological approach to psychotherapy.... The premise of IFS is that similar to the complex external family system, individuals are composed of separate and multifaceted internal parts in relationship with each other. IFS's primary focus is to work with individuals and help differentiate parts or subpersonalities in the mind..
  2. Book: Logan . Sadye L. M. . Mizrahi . Terry . Davis . Larry E. . Encyclopedia of Social Work . 2008 . Oxford University Press, USA . 2:175–182 . en . Family: Overview. 9780195306613 .
  3. Book: Burgoyne . Nancy . Schwartz, Richard C . Lebow . J. . Chambers . A. . Breunlin . D.. Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy . Springer International Publishing . 978-3-319-15877-8 . 1–2 . en . 2018 . 10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_927-1 . [Schwartz] brought family therapy theory and technique to the intrapsychic worlds of clients and, in so doing, discovered ways of working with individuals, couples, and families that is unique and evidence-based. IFS has become not only a school of family therapy but also a major form of psychotherapy in general, with a vast literature and training institutes throughout the world..
  4. Book: Scott . Derek . Winokuer . Howard . Harris . Darcy . Principles and practice of grief counseling . 2012 . Springer Publishing Company . 9780826108739 . 168–169 . Grief and the Internal Family System . The "parts" in this model may be understood to be autonomous aspects of the personality that have specific roles. [...] The exiled parts hold extreme feelings or beliefs about themselves.... When these vulnerable parts get triggered, other parts jump up to distract us from them and these reactive protective parts are termed "firefighters." [...] The other group of protectors in the system are referred to as "managers," and they seek to ensure that the vulnerable parts do not get triggered..
  5. Sweezy . Martha . The Teenager's Confession: Regulating Shame in Internal Family Systems Therapy . American Journal of Psychotherapy . April 2011 . 65 . 2 . 179–188 . 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2011.65.2.179 . 21847894 . en . Therapeutic work with parts can help to unpack an amalgamated experience of shame like Angie’s into its component parts, differentiating its origin from the ways in which it is maintained.. free .
  6. Book: Carlisle . Robert M. . Neukrug . Edward S. . The SAGE Encyclopedia of Theory in Counseling and Psychotherapy . 2015 . SAGE Publications . 978-1-4833-4649-6 . 567–569 . https://books.google.com/books?id=4zasCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA569 . 28 January 2020 . en . Internal Family Systems Model . The internal system consists of the types of relationships between each of the parts and the self. The three primary relationships consist of protection, polarization, and alliance..
  7. Book: Kolk . Bessel A. Van der . The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma . 2015 . Penguin Books . 978-0-14-312774-1 . 286 . en . The task of the therapist is to help patients separate this confusing blend into separate entities.... Patients learn to put their fear, rage, or disgust on hold and open up into states of curiosity and self-reflection. From the stable perspective of Self they can begin constructive inner dialogues with their parts.. 861478952.
  8. Deacon . Sharon A. . Davis . Jonathan C. . Internal Family Systems Theory: A Technical Integration . Journal of Systemic Therapies . March 2001 . 20 . 1 . 45–58 . 10.1521/jsyt.20.1.45.19410 . Parts work can be emotional and anxiety-provoking for clients and therapists must have a rationale and direction in order to guide clients on such internal journeys. [...] Although Schwartz may disagree, we believe that IFS therapy, in general, may not work well with delusional, paranoid, or schizophrenic clients. Clients who are not grounded in reality may misuse the idea of "parts" or become more entrenched in delusional thoughts by such interventions..

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