Internal Family Systems Research Articles

Online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and acceptability of the program for alleviating and resolving trauma and stress.

Demand for trauma-focused therapy continues to increase, especially in community mental health care settings where group treatment models can be cost-effective and increase access to care. The Internal Family Systems (IFS) model for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may offer an effective therapeutic approach. The purpose of this proof-of-concept study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a novel, trauma-focused, group-based treatment approach and investigate potential mechanisms of action. Study participants completed the Program for Alleviating and Resolving Trauma and Stress (PARTS), an online-delivered program including 16 weeks of 90-min IFS-based groups with eight 50-min individual IFS counseling sessions. Participants completed assessments including clinician-administered and self-report measures of PTSD, common comorbid conditions (e.g., complex PTSD [disturbances in self-organization], depression, anxiety, and suicidality), and potential mechanisms (e.g., decentering, self-compassion, and emotion regulation). Most participants (n = 11/15; 73%) attended 12+ group sessions, with 92% (12/13 responders) reporting they would recommend PARTS to a friend. All respondents reported the program was helpful (13/13; 100%). PTSD symptom severity was reduced from baseline to Weeks 16 (d = -0.7, p = .005) and 24 (d = -0.9, p < .001). A clinically meaningful response (i.e., 10+ point reduction on the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [5th ed.]) was demonstrated in 53% of participants (8/15) by Week 24. Decentering, self-compassion, and emotion regulation all improved (p < .05). PARTS was feasible and acceptable as a group-based, online intervention in an urban, public community health care system. While PARTS showed promise in reducing overall PTSD symptom severity, well-controlled efficacy research is needed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for Online Group-Based Internal Family Systems Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Feasibility and Acceptability of the Program for Alleviating and Resolving Trauma and Stress

Supplemental Material for Online Group-Based Internal Family Systems Treatment for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Feasibility and Acceptability of the Program for Alleviating and Resolving Trauma and Stress

Rerouting spiritual bypass: An internal family systems approach.

Rerouting spiritual bypass: An internal family systems approach.

An examination of internal family systems interventions for trauma with implications for ethical psychedelic-assisted treatment

AbstractThough several treatments effectively address the pervasive impact of trauma, they do not achieve complete symptom resolution for all clients, inspiring the search for alternatives. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy has grown popular, especially in informal psychedelic-assisted treatments (PAT). Compared to stereotypes of empirically validated, exposure-based treatments, IFS has novel facets with widespread appeal. The model encourages improved quality of interactions among multiple, naturally arising “parts” or subpersonalities potentially generated by traumatic experience. The body of IFS literature is extensive, enthusiastic, and thought-provoking. Outcome data for applying the model to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are limited. Attempts to operationalize and falsify the theory's assumptions and proposed mechanisms will likely prove challenging. Nevertheless, the model's popularity underscores a problem with perceptions of the empirically-supported treatments. Contemplating ethical ways to present the IFS approach given the state of relevant research, we note strategies that would apply to recommendations for PAT of any type. These strategies include detailed psychoeducation about empirically-supported treatments, candid description of the experimental nature of alternatives, frequent assessments of improvement, and detailed monitoring of potential iatrogenic effects. Drawing on facets of IFS to improve perceptions of the empirically validated treatments might provide an efficient way to appeal to more clients, decrease drop out, and increase gains as we await results of empirical investigations of IFS-influenced PAT. These steps can allow clients to choose an approach consistent with their own impressions of a credible intervention, potentially leading to better outcomes.

A Path Toward Healing: Integrating Internal Family Systems and Art Therapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS) and art therapy each provide distinctive processes for working within the psychological realm of individuals. Many of their respective goals and techniques are consistent with the underpinnings research finds essential to inform effective trauma care. This article provides an overview of IFS theory and then, through case vignettes, demonstrates an integrative IFS and art therapy approach. Through a review of the literature and analysis of the cases, six salient areas of alignment are identified: externalization, creativity, visualization, somatic awareness, relationship, and witnessing. These areas underscore the benefit of integrating IFS and art therapy in trauma work as, when combined, these complementary therapeutic approaches offer a unique process, opening pathways for profound and effective healing.

Helping Formators Shine a Light on the Internal Life of Seminarians

Spiritual directors and formation advisors are charged with the responsibility of getting to know the men and women they work with who are in formation for religious life and the priesthood. This includes understanding the experiences of the people they work with, especially their inner lives. But the inner life of another person is a dark, vast, and mysterious world. This article draws on features of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy to help shine a light on the interior lives of those in formation for religious life and diocesan priesthood. IFS can help a formator make sense of the complex internal relationships every person experiences by identifying the different kinds of internal reactions a person experiences while proceeding through formation. The article explains key IFS terms such as protectors, managers, firefighters, exiles, and the Self that help formators understand those reactions and what a person in formation is experiencing. After considering some of the implications that this IFS approach to the interior life holds for formation advising and spiritual direction, the author offers three formational practices based on IFS that can promote self-knowledge for those in formation. The author concludes with a discussion of the transformation of one's identity and leadership. This article lays the groundwork for further research on the status of the Self in IFS and Christian theology.

Development of the internal family systems model: Honoring contributions from family systems therapies.

We describe Richard Schwartz's development of the Internal Family Systems model (IFS) from his position as a Structural/Strategic family therapist. Four decades ago, Schwartz struggled to help clients who exhibited serious risk of harm to self and others. Through a process of inquiry, he began to work with the positive intentions behind his most challenging clients' harmful thoughts and behaviors. He applied foundational ideas from family systems thinking to patterns of internal experiences. As he experimented with ways of applying these ideas, he created an approach to healing. We summarize the IFS model delineating ways a range of family systems theory and practice inform its development and contribute to its best practice. Our purposes are to inform IFS practitioners who are not trained in foundational family systems models as well as to acknowledge the significant contributions family therapy theories made in the development and best practice of the IFS model.

No Bad Parts: Healing trauma and restoring wholeness with the internal family systems model By R. C.Schwartz, Boulder, CO: Sounds True. 2021. pp. 199.

No Bad Parts: Healing trauma and restoring wholeness with the internal family systems model By R. C.Schwartz, Boulder, CO: Sounds True. 2021. pp. 199.

The Effect of Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy on Males and Females with Internalizing Behaviours in Pakistan Experiencing Family Conflicts: A Comparative Study

The Effect of Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy on Males and Females with Internalizing Behaviours in Pakistan Experiencing Family Conflicts: A Comparative Study

“If Pain Could Speak, What Would It Say?” Re-lational Inter/Intra-rogation of sickle cell disease: A Poetic (Inquiry) Insight.

If pain could speak, what would it say? If it could have a form, what would it look like? &#x0D; I start with these questions to illustrate the line of inquiry I am reframing as insight. The insights come from a conversation with a therapist warrior battling sickle cell disease (SCD). I use the language of therapist warrior for multiple reasons. To protect the anonymity of my conversational partner; to obscure her name but not her identity or infinite resourcefulness; to work with an archetype in a way that is congruent with the model of engagement I use within our conversations - Internal Family Systems (IFS), (Schwartz, 2013).&#x0D; I work with this model in my therapy practice. I draw on it in this paper to highlight the transformational power of externalising the pain experienced by the therapist I am conversing with. I will offer an overview of the model and an overview of the new language I am introducing in relation to methodology.&#x0D; IFS offers a different lens through which to view pain. Pain can be externalised as a “part”, no longer within the individual. This helps to empower the individual and their experience of pain.&#x0D; In this paper, I seek to highlight the resilience of the therapist I am conversing with and raise awareness of sickle cell disease. The paper actively examines the oppression and racialisation experienced by individuals with SCD from within the health care system. Care is contested.&#x0D; I use “re-lational inter-rogation/intra-rogation”, a methodology I am developing, to examine this. This way of engaging with conversational material highlights the importance of intentionally exploring relational changes after every re-connection or newfound acceptance between and within a group and connecting those insights with wider political forces.&#x0D; I use my embodied reflexivity for witnessing the impact, experiences, and happenings that occur during and after our dialogue. I illuminate my conversational partner’s resilience within the wider discourse of racialisation and marginalisation.&#x0D; Poems are transcribed from the conversation to add to the quality and aesthetics of the paper for the readers, as well as a reflexive process for me during and after my conversation with the therapist warrior. Poetry has a long history as a counter-narrative to the status quo and can be viewed as a decolonial, political act (van Rooyen and d’Abdon, 2020).

Abraham and the Multiverse

This article uses a dialogic approach to examine the character of Abraham in Genesis 18 in light of his multiple roles in the story and through the lens of internal family systems theory. The study of the varied characters of Abraham contributes to our understanding of God and the nature of God’s call on Abraham and by extension, our lives.

Altered states of consciousness within therapeutic modalities - exploring commonalities of experience

Altered states of consciousness (ASC) occur when there is a deviation from normal levels of psychological functioning. They can be self-induced through meditative practices or taking psychoactive substances and therapeutically induced through processes like hypnotic induction. They are determined physiologically when brain rhythms drop from the usual rhythm of waking consciousness to the slower rhythms of meditation and dreaming sleep. ASC offers a window into the workings of the psyche. This qualitative Grounded Theory pilot study explored commonalities of ASC experience through the lens of four therapeutic modalities - Hypnotherapy, Past-life Regression, Internal Family Systems Therapy and Soul-Centred Healing. The research findings were based on twelve interviews with a trainer, practitioner, and client from these four therapeutic systems. In exploring their inner worlds through ASC, the common themes of this limited research suggested the participants’ conviction in a transpersonal element of human consciousness that transcends the physicality of their current life. These experiences were seen as part of a journey of individuation to higher states of consciousness. The multiplicity of the different inner world elements was also recognised, containing various characters sometimes known as sub-personalities, ego-states or simply “parts”.

The broken unscientific arm of s/Self (care) in the context of silence and solitude for schools

This paper argues that whilst silence and solitude in schools are beneficial and therefore have therapeutic spirit in their health and healing potential, they are not enough. The paper argues we need to do deeper in schools into the inner lives of individuals for well-being and healing of anomalies for “happiness,” but it is imperative this drive involves consent. I suggest current urgencies never before felt around climate change exigencies require the significant, permanent transformation for the resolution of childhood and other traumas (common to all) inherent in therapy. This is new for education in the way I mean and I deal with concerns about the dangers of “therapeutic rise” in schools. The argument here responds to a climate emergency: we no longer live to be happy, but instead need happiness to survive our planet and all that unresolved traumas causes in the actions of humans against Others of all kinds. I argue the soft, “passive” benefits of silence and solitude for schools have received academic attention which has enabled them to move from fluffy, hippy-touchy-feely into the realm of evidence based practices, involving also a body of theory to support their just, ethical and appropriate use for child and staff in schools. These or this area of schooling intervention presents a case study for how the currently unscientific arm that is therapy in schools can be rendered scientific: within the science of education as discipline and according to the terms of that discipline as science. I present a model of therapy known as Internal Family Systems (IFS), which is currently developing its scientific basis, supported by academics and practitioner-professionals impressed by the outcomes towards well-being (in ways mentioned above required – along the lines of do no harm to self nor other) that this model affords. I suggest therapy in schools could occur well and with consent using this model given its democratic requirements of “parts” agreeing to the model in action and “parts” consent for the model to work being fundamental. A side issue of “spiritual bypassing” is explored as justifying therapy first, rather than silence and solitude as what I call “soft therapy”, seen as optional. I call for “vital” therapy specifically via IFS and its parts-Self modelling, which involves active talk rather than passive involvement, to be developed as science in and for education.

Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS): A Compassionate Approach to Therapy

Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) has gained recognition globally as an effective psychotherapy and an evidence-based practice. It has seen widespread acceptance and application not only in individual, couple, and family therapy but also in diverse fields such as education, coaching and more. The IFS model was developed by Dr Richard Schwartz based on the concepts of systems therapy and multiplicity of the mind. The non-pathologising approach of IFS views the psychiatric symptoms that a client comes into counselling with, as protectors or parts forced into extreme roles caused by circumstances and experiences for the positive intention of maintaining functioning, despite negative consequences. The approach of IFS reflects compassion and its goal is to restore balance to the client’s inner system by unburdening the parts of their extreme roles, beliefs or feelings, and to restore the client’s Self to leadership. IFS offers an alternative neuroscience-informed intervention model to the stage model of treatment for trauma. The contribution of IFS is not only in the interventions itself but also in advancing therapeutic relationship and for self-therapy. This paper describes the application of IFS therapy to individuals by providing vignettes to highlight the impact of its non-pathologising approach on the client as well as the therapist in the counselling process by viewing parts from a lens of self-compassion.

Development of IFS (Internal Family Systems) Program to Improve Adolescent Self-Identification: Put emphasis on the focus group of student sentiment and behavioral characteristics tests

Background: IFS treatment has been developed by Schwartz, Based on the fact that it forms a stable emotion through the encounter of self, we would like to help adolescents classified as focus groups identified by the test of the student’s emotional and behavioral characteristics. Purpose: By developing a program that improves the stable growth and positive self-identity for adolescents, we tried to obtain the positive effect in the adolescences coping with the crisis. Methodology/Approach: As detailed goals as follows; (1) Observe the characteristics of adolescence and develop the programs by IFS access. (2) When the program was developed for the improvement of self-identity, it was included object, goal, composition, and content as essential factors. (3) Both preliminary research and evaluation were preceded to develop practical IFS programs to improve adolescents' self-identity. (4) The effects of the programs were verified through pre- and post-quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the self-identity, IFS, student sentiment, and the scales of behavioral characteristic test. Findings/Conclusions: The overall results of the study show that the content of the IFS program for assisting the self-identification for youth has produced significant outcomes. Furthermore, the IFS treatment program was verified to assist in the self-identification of youths, the improvement in the IFS (Internal Family System), and reduction in emotional and behavioral problems. Implications: The results of this study are as follows; (1) The focus group from the student sentiment and behavioral characteristic test and adolescents were subjected to the study. (2) It derives the natural and active participation of the interest group of adolescents. (3) The study was conducted in parallel with quantitative effect verification and qualitative analysis. (4) IFS program was successfully constructed to improve adolescents' self-identity.

The Mediating Role of Self-Leadership in the link between Racial Identity Attitudes, Mental Health Outcomes, and Race Related Stress

ABSTRACT Introduction: Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy has grown in popularity over the last several decades, demonstrating promising utility, especially in the treatment of mood disorders. However, IFS researchers have yet to explore its relevance specifically for Black populations in the United States. Objective: The present study investigated relationships between self-leadership, racial identity attitudes, race related stress, and mental health outcomes. Specifically, this study examined self-leadership as a potential mediator in the relationship between Black racial identity attitudes and the experience of race-related stress and mental health outcomes Methods: Participants (N = 79) were Black-identifying undergraduate students who completed self-report inventories. Mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS. Results: Self-leadership significantly predicted less severe negative mental health outcomes. Additionally, self-leadership fully mediated the relationship between the pre-encounter attitude of self-hatred and mental health outcomes, and self-leadership partially mediated the relationship between multiculturalist inclusive attitudes and stress due to institutional racism. Conclusion: Findings point to the potential utility of a major component of IFS, self-leadership, for future Black clinical populations.

Internal Relational Illustration: A Pilot Clinical Case Study

The history of marriage and family therapy includes various ways to map families. This pilot case study aimed to fill the gaps in research concerning the use of maps in therapy while also introducing a new concept in Internal Family Systems (IFS) of a structured formalized way to create maps with clients. Using a qualitative method, the researcher presented therapy sessions with one established IFS client using the Internal Relational Illustration (IRI) method. The goal of this case study was to show the effectiveness of IRI in clinical work.

Internal Family Systems and Spirituality: Implications for Supervision

Internal Family Systems and Spirituality: Implications for Supervision

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Survivors of Multiple Childhood Trauma: A Pilot Effectiveness Study

ABSTRACT Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition and exposure to multiple types of childhood trauma contributes to higher co-occurring symptoms. This pilot research explores effectiveness of a novel intervention, Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, for treatment of PTSD and associated symptoms and problems, including depression, dissociation, somatization, affect dysregulation, and disrupted self-perception (i.e. shame/guilt) among adults exposed to multiple childhood trauma. Seventeen adults with PTSD and history of multiple childhood traumas participated in an uncontrolled trial of IFS, receiving 16, 90-min IFS sessions and completing four evaluations (pre-, mid-, and post-treatment, and 1-month follow-up) assessing PTSD symptoms and diagnosis, as well as multiple secondary outcomes (e.g., symptoms of depression, dissociation, and somatization, affect dysregulation, disrupted self-perception, interoceptive awareness, and self-compassion). Intent-to-treat analyses using multilevel growth curve modeling and examination of effect sizes demonstrated significant decreases in symptoms of PTSD (d = −4.46 and −3.05 as measured by the CAPS and DTS respectively), associated features of PTSD (e.g., total score on a measure of dissociation, somatization, affect dysregulation, self-perception; d = −1.27), and depression (d = −1.51) across the study period. A medium effect size in the expected direction was observed for self-compassion (d = .72). Small to large effect sizes in the expected direction were observed for multiple indicators of interoceptive awareness (range d = .27–1.21). Results provide preliminary support for IFS as a promising practice for the treatment of PTSD among adults with a history of childhood trauma.

Internal family systems as an eco‐spirituality model: Hearing the cries, confrontation, and call from Covid‐19

AbstractThis article explores the potential of Internal Family Systems as a spiritual practice that can guide human responses to restoring right relationship as species on the planet. It problematizes the centralizing of the coronavirus in human experiences and argues for an awareness of the pandemic within the larger context of climate change. It then offers encouragement to return to an honoring of indigenous wisdom and communities as the true care tending elders of the planet as well as the ritualized therapeutic practice of IFS as a lens for gaining clarity on the roles each of us fall into in times of threat. Finally, this article invites us to envision how we collectively got to this place of suffering, our patterns that perpetuate suffering, and a hope to move forward with compassionate and courageous clarity.