The type of therapy I do is called Internal Family Systems.
IFS is best understood by experiencing it, but this is a quick rundown of how we look at our minds through the IFS lens:
We all have different parts inside of us. Our parts show up through our thoughts, feelings, behaviours and our bodies.
Some of our parts are stuck in extreme roles, acting in damaging ways or overwhelming us with emotion. Despite this, they all have a positive intention and a desire to protect us.
We all have an innate healing capacity that we call Self. When we're in Self, we open up to compassion and can heal the parts of us that have been hurt.
The last part is one of the things I love most about IFS: you don't need another person to fix you. Instead, my job is to guide you to access your own innate capacity to heal.
You can read more about IFS on the IFS Institute’s website.
IFS is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy. Here is a comprehensive list of scientific studies on IFS
With IFS Therapy, you can expect to:
Understand different parts of yourself better
IFS helps you make sense of your feelings, thoughts and behaviours.
You’ll learn why parts of you feel and act in ways that have made little sense to you before.
Resolve inner conflicts and access more self-compassion
You’ll be able to find more inner space and calmness amidst conflicts inside your mind.
By understanding and being with different parts of you, you’ll be able to start working through conflicts and decisions in a way that doesn’t push away any of your parts.
Heal parts of you that are in pain
IFS is a trauma-informed, gentle method for helping and healing parts of you that have been through difficult things in the past.
During therapy, you’ll learn to connect to a state inside you that makes deep healing and transformation possible.
