3 Things You Should Know About IFS Therapy
Humans are complex beings. We are complicated, wonderful, messy, and so much more. There are a lot of good people in the world and bad people, as well. We all seem to view one another as either “this” or “that.” We see so much as either black or white and never shades. But the truth is, every situation has shades of gray. Moments of light and moments of dark. People are no exception.
You might be asking what any of this has to do with therapy or mental health. Actually, a lot. Many therapists fully understand that there is so much more at play in a person’s life than just the black and white. Because of this, many therapists will turn to a type of therapy known as Internal Family Systems (IFS).
What Is IFS Therapy?
IFS allows a person to truly reflect on who they are through the lens that there is more to them than just being cut and dry. The theory behind IFS is that we have three “roles” that influence who we are. IFS can help treat a variety of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and trauma/PTSD. IFS can seem complicated at first glance, so let’s try to simplify it.
1. There Are Three Main Roles Of IFS
The Firefighter
This role in our lives is the protector. When there is pain, the firefighter tries to protect you by helping you form unhealthy coping methods, so it doesn’t hurt as much. These methods may be helpful temporarily but do not serve you in the long run.
The Manager
The manager’s role is to help you avoid the situations that trigger you. For instance, you may avoid going to a certain place because it brings you back to the time when something painful or hard happened there.
The Exile
This final part of your life brings back all of the painful memories and emotions you have stored.
2. There Are Six Steps That Are Part Of The IFS Therapy Process
Each step of IFS Therapy is meant to walk you toward a journey of greater healing. You begin in a meditative state. Your body and mind work together to focus on which of the roles you should focus on healing. The second step is to focus on what role you are experiencing most often. Step three is learning about your emotions that are associated with it. Is it representative of who you were at a certain age?
Step four is to address your feelings regarding the role you most often experience. This step helps the therapist you work with to see how big of an impact the role has on you. Step five is a harder step to get through as it is the acceptance stage. This is the stage where you accept the existence of the role—it does not mean you need to let it continue to dictate you. The final step is addressing what fears you have over this role. How does it hold you back?
If that all sounded complicated—it’s because it’s a complicated process to work through! The focus with IFS Therapy isn’t to have any of the above make sense but to have IFS work for you by making sense of who you are.
3. IFS Therapy Can Help You Overcome Issues Such As Anxiety, Depression, And Trauma
IFS Therapy, while complicated in terms of its terminology and what each step means, is extremely beneficial for healing. We are complicated beings with so many facets to who we are.
IFS therapy isn’t for everyone, but many people have found insight and healing through it. Let’s connect soon to see if IFS Therapy is right for you.
