What is an IFS Therapist?
There are a variety of abbreviations that are used in the therapy world. From EMDR to CBT and everything in between, these abbreviations can make therapy seem like a mystery. IFS is no exception.
IFS, or internal family systems, is a therapy approach developed in the 1980s. Originally founded to help those with eating disorders, it is now used for many different mental health conditions, including trauma or PTSD.
What Is IFS Therapy?
IFS therapy is different than traditional or talk therapy. In this type of therapy, someone sits down with a therapist and talks about the issues they are going through. It is not only meant to help someone air out the problems they are facing and how they are feeling but also gives them a safe and judgment-free zone to receive advice and support.
As beneficial as talk therapy is, sometimes, it doesn’t help someone fully. This is especially true when they have a deeper set of issues they have faced, such as going through traumatic experiences. This is when working with an IFS therapist can help tremendously.
What An IFS Therapist Can Teach You
The human mind is complex on its own. Humans, in general, are complex. After all, we are made up of our genetics, past history, and the relationships that have shaped us into the person we are.
An IFS therapist recognizes these complexities and doesn’t just see a person for the “whole” but rather the different parts of them. This helps to form the foundation of IFS, which is based on the principle of their being parts, or families, that make up each individual person and then “the self, or true self.”
You see, these different parts that make up a person are often at war with one another. These parts are referred to as the managers, firefighters, and exiles. Each plays a very specific role, and part of the therapist’s role is to teach you about them.
Exiles are the parts of a person that are in pain and full of shame, fear, and traumatic experiences.
Managers are the parts of a person that try to protect the person by preventing painful memories from coming to the surface. It’s exemplifying “out of sight, out of mind,” but unfortunately, this does more harm than good.
Firefighters are the parts that try to extinguish and mask the suffering that is caused by the exiles and managers. They only serve to provide distractions for them, though.
Then, there is the self. The self is a person underneath the boiling and volatile environment these three warring factions can cause. That isn’t to say that those parts are bad or toxic. They just need healing work done so that a person may be more at peace with themselves.
The Role of the IFS Therapist
An IFS therapist teaches you about “you.” They help you see the person you are meant to be and who you are outside of the negative life experiences you have faced. It helps you to get to the core of who you are.
An IFS therapist will have undergone specialized training to learn about IFS therapy and how to discover all the different parts of a person. It’s a very specific approach to therapy that is complex but so rewarding for those who participate.
As we mentioned earlier, it is highly beneficial for those who have gone through a traumatic experience. After someone has experienced trauma, they often feel as if that moment, or moments of their life, are what they are. It becomes so embedded into their identity and experience through life that it is challenging for them to recognize who they are outside of it.
If you are interested in learning more about IFS therapy, please reach out to learn more.
