Fortunately, the importance given to mental health in our society is increasing . In recent years, there has been a great movement to raise awareness and visibility of mental health problems and, thanks to this, going to psychotherapy is becoming normalized and, little by little, is losing the deeply rooted stigma it had.
As the years have progressed and psychology has become more popular as a health science, a wide variety of psychotherapy models have emerged, all of which are quite different from one another. It is true that some, for various reasons, are now more widely known and recognized at a social and scientific level than others.
Have you heard about the Internal Family Systems model? Throughout this article we will explain what it is and what its main characteristics are. In addition, we will address the theoretical foundations on which it is based and also what are the main methods or techniques used in this model . Finally, we will explain its benefits.
What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)?
The Internal Family Systems model, also known as IFS, is a psychotherapeutic intervention proposal developed by Richard C. Schwartz in the 1980s. It is based on systemic family therapy.
This proposal arose from the author’s realization that most of his patients narrated the things that happened to them and their inner world as if it were made up of many different parts . He felt that there seemed to be a family inside each person.
It is important to note that this model of psychotherapy has a scientific basis and is supported by advances in neuroscience. From this perspective, human beings are seen as complex beings with a rich internal world and compassionate and respectful therapeutic support is offered.
So far we have only very occasionally named concepts such as “parts” to better understand the name of the model. These parts, which make up those “families” that build and form part of our internal world, are classified into different types .
Below, we discuss both these parts and another basic concept in this theoretical framework, the Self. It is important to note that, in this article, complex concepts are explained in a very summarized and brief manner.
The theory of the multiple mind formed by the parts and the Self
The IFS proposes that all people are born with a multiple mind, with various parts, and far from pathologizing this fact, it is considered normal. In addition, it proposes the idea that these parts have specific functions and that there is another crucial element in our internal system: the Self. In short, we could say that all people have a Self in the same way that we have various parts in our internal world.
We could define the Self as our essence, our essential self and who we really are. In other words, the Self is who we really are when we don’t have to protect ourselves or when none of our parts are acting to protect us. According to the IFS model, it is described with the following characteristics, known as the 8Cs: calm, clarity, curiosity, confidence, courage, compassion, creativity and connection.
Richard Schwartz proposes with his model that the internal family systems of each person are composed, in addition to the Self, of parts with different functions. In this sense, we can find parts that protect and parts that need to be protected.
The wounded parts are those that hold the pain of lived experiences that are not integrated. They are parts that are taken to a kind of “prison” to keep them away from the system so that their pain does not overflow. For this reason, they are called “Exiles” .
The protective parts are divided into two types: the directives and the fire-fighters. The directives are the preventive tools that we use in our day to day life with the objective of trying to avoid the exiles from going off and showing their pain. The fire-fighters are reactive strategies since they are extreme and are put in place to alleviate the pain when we feel that we may be overwhelmed or overwhelmed.
Methods and techniques
In therapeutic work based on this model, there are several points that are taken into account. To get to know the map of our parts and contact the Self, we use all the information that our organism gives us. Being able to observe aspects such as bodily sensations, certain pains, tensions or blockages, our thoughts and other types of physical and emotional symptoms is what allows us, little by little, to connect from our Self with the protective parts and the wounded parts in order to be able to attend to them and heal.
One of the crucial aspects of this process is connecting with our Self, since only from there can we heal. The Self is the internal wisdom that allows psychological and emotional healing. The therapist’s role is to help the person access the Self and remain in this state.
The goal of therapy is not to make the protective parts, which usually manifest themselves with symptoms or behaviors that we now consider maladaptive, disappear or stop performing their function . The goal is, after the work is done, to be able to help the exiled parts to free themselves from the burdens they have carried for a long time. Only then can the protective parts transform themselves and take on other functions.
Benefits of Internal Family Systems
Internal family systems therapy has gained popularity for its high effectiveness. It is a compassion-based accompaniment that empowers the person by helping them connect with their own essence and heal from this power that is already within them.
This psychotherapeutic model has been applied to a wide variety of different emotional problems. The main benefits obtained after undergoing IFS therapy are: the integration of the wounded parts and the pain they harbored, the harmonization of the parts and the reconnection with the Self .