425 E. Crossville Road, Suite 217 Roswell, GA | In-person or Virtual in Georgia | (770) 800-7362
Internal Family Systems in Atlanta
Learning how to heal yourself and parts of yourself.
IFS Therapy in Roswell: Here to help you with working within yourself to find haling with your parts.
What is IFS?
At Towler Counseling LLC, we have trained therapists who use the IFS model in sessions. IFS is a model that begins to help clients begin to understand different parts of themselves. IFS was developed by psychologist Richard Schwartz. In his work as a family therapist, Schwartz began to observe patterns in how people described their inner lives: “What I heard repeatedly were descriptions of what they often called their "parts"—the conflicted subpersonalities that resided within them,” Schwartz says. He began to conceive of the mind as a family, and the parts as family members interacting with one another.
Exploring how these components functioned with one another was the foundation for IFS and the idea of the core Self. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a powerful approach that many people are seeking. IFS views each person as having a system of inner parts, including both protective and wounded parts, all guided by a core Self. According to IFS, the mind naturally consists of multiple parts, and this diversity is beneficial. Similar to family members, these inner parts can be pushed into extreme roles within us. The core Self is present in everyone, cannot be harmed, and possesses the inherent ability to heal. IFS works on helping you to heal your mind and feelings from past hurts. IFS helps you to begin to explore both current and past hurts in relationships and within yourself. It is also a way of understanding personal and intimate relationships and stepping into life with the 8 Cs: confidence, calm, compassion, courage, creativity, clarity, curiosity, and connectedness. Professionals from many different backgrounds such as, but not limited to, bodyworkers, legal mediators, school administration, life coaches, and religious leaders may utilize IFS to inform and guide their work.
IFS interventions
IFS discusses sub-personalities consisting of wounded parts, painful emotions such as anger and shame, and parts that try to control and protect the person from the pain of the wounded parts. The sub-personalities are often in conflict with each other and with one’s core Self, a concept that describes the confident, compassionate, whole person that is at the core of every individual. IFS focuses on healing the wounded parts and restoring mental balance and harmony by changing the dynamics that create discord among the sub-personalities and the Self.
IFS can treat the following:
IFS is used to treat Depression
Anxiety
Panic
Phobias
Trauma
Substance use
Physical health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, heart
General functioning and well-being
IFS therapy and what is it about?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a type of talk therapy where you work with a therapist to identify and understand the different sub-personalities, or parts, that make up your internal mental system. Through this process, you will recognize and acknowledge your feelings about these parts and the suppressed emotions they hold. The therapist will help you release these feelings, freeing you to address the underlying issues more effectively. You'll also learn more positive ways to manage conflicts on your own. Your therapist may suggest tools such as relaxation exercises, visualization, journaling, and creating a chart to illustrate the relationship between your core Self and your various parts. The underlying concept of this theory is that we all have several parts within us that fulfill both healthy and unhealthy roles. However, life events or trauma can push these parts out of their healthy roles and into extreme ones.
What to expect for your first IFS session.
Your first session of IFS therapy will often cover basic information about the process and include an initial assessment. Your therapist will ask background questions to better understand your needs and goals for therapy. Building a comfortable, trusting rapport with your therapist is crucial for the success of therapy.
In subsequent sessions, you will work with your therapist to identify the different parts of yourself and build connections between them. Each session typically involves talk therapy, focusing on exploring and understanding these inner parts. It’s normal to sometimes feel discomfort, fear, shame, or anger during this process. Your therapist will help you manage these feelings and learn healthier ways to deal with them.
With IFS- we use different techniques in the model such as understanding the parts of self. The three general parts are exiles, firefighters and managers. All parts of self are welcomed.
As you continue working with your therapist to help you achieve your goals. The duration of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy can vary widely and is influenced by several factors, including the nature and complexity of the issues being addressed, individual progress, and personal goals. There is no one-size-fits-all answer regarding the duration of IFS therapy. The decision to continue or conclude therapy is a collaborative process between the client and therapist based on the client's evolving needs and goals. Regular check-ins with the therapist can help determine the most beneficial course and duration of therapy for each individual.