IFS Therapy
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Do You Feel Like There Are Parts Of You That Need Healing From Past Events?
Are you…
Experiencing a sense of dissociation or even disconnected from parts of yourself?
Struggling with patterns of behaviour that seem to consistently emerge, even with the best efforts to change?
Battling with anxiety, depression, or trauma that can’t be helped with other forms of therapy?
If you find yourself answering yes to any of these questions, then you are on the right track. Many have sought out this approach to therapy when other approaches have not helped effectively. If you find yourself feeling stuck in the past or even inside your mind, you can benefit greatly from Internal Family Systems therapy.
What Is IFS Therapy And How Can It Help Me?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is an approach where therapists help individuals heal the various sub-parts of themselves that may need room for growth. This can also help correct problematic behavioural patterns that you may carry. IFS often focuses on the multiplicity of the mind, encouraging you to recognize, embrace, and accept the parts of themselves they tend to shy away from. It is also well-suited for individuals who are often marginalized because it is explained that when people try to hide certain parts of themselves to fit in, it wounds them.
IFS therapy is also based on the idea that every person has a core self or an intelligent and caring nature. The journey through this therapy helps open your eyes to the way to healing, promoting balance and health deep inside yourself. IFS is an evidence based approach to therapy; this therapeutic approach is generally used in family therapy sessions, but is also used to help individuals struggling with depression, trauma, anxiety, OCD, and eating disorders.
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How Is IFS Beneficial For Family Therapy?
Improving Family Dynamics: IFS family therapy helps family members gain a better understanding of all the sub parts of each other, leading to improved communication and empathy. By addressing underlying parts of each other that contribute to conflict in therapy, families can collectively work together to fix any issues and strengthen familial relationships.
Strengthening Emotional Connections: Through IFS family therapy, family members learn to connect with their inner selves and each other on a deeper emotional level. This fosters unity and support, helping families navigate challenges and build a harmonious home environment.
Supporting Individual Growth: IFS family therapy supports the growth and healing of each family member, recognizing that individual well-being contributes to overall family health. By addressing personal issues together with a therapist, individuals can experience personal growth while strengthening family bonds.
How Does IFS Help Individuals Suffering From Other Mental Health Disorders?
Depression:
IFS therapy addresses depression by healing inner parts that contribute to sadness, hopelessness, and low self-worth. By connecting with these parts, individuals uncover underlying causes and develop healthier coping mechanisms, leading to improved mood and well-being.
Anxiety:
IFS therapy reduces anxiety by calming the inner parts that trigger fear and worry. This process helps individuals learn to reassure these parts, promoting inner peace and stability.
Trauma and PTSD:
IFS therapy is highly effective for trauma and PTSD, especially childhood trauma. It helps heal inner wounds holding traumatic memories, allowing individuals to process and release pain, reducing PTSD symptoms, and enhancing self-compassion.
OCD:
IFS therapy helps manage OCD symptoms by addressing the intrusive thoughts driving compulsive behaviors. By understanding the thoughts you have, individuals gain control over their OCD symptoms and overall improve their quality of life.
Eating Disorders:
IFS therapy uncovers parts contributing to unhealthy eating behaviors and body image issues. By healing these parts and fostering a positive self-relationship, individuals develop healthier eating habits and improve their relationship with food and their bodies.
How Effective Is IFS Therapy?
IFS is established as an evidence-based practice that is effective in treating depression symptoms (1).
IFS has also been rated effective for improving well-being, and has been rated promising for improving phobia, anxiety disorders, and more (2).
Recently, there has been more research on its effectiveness and it has been found to also be effective for people with PTSD, specifically childhood trauma (3).
There Is Hope!
The therapeutic process of IFS therapy can be frustrating and uncomfortable, as it relies on working closely with your therapist to connect with your inner parts and embrace them. We are here to help you every step of the way! IFS will help you create a connection between your inner and outer self and understand and heal your many parts. We are here to help you through this process and identify your inner parts so you can facilitate more open communication with them that will lead to a path of healing for you, whether that be you are struggling with depression or trauma.
Maybe You Are Thinking Of IFS Therapy, But Still Have Some Questions In Mind
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During sessions of IFS therapy, you will be involved in identifying parts of the Self and exploring your inner parts. You will be encouraged to learn to focus on the inner Self, which may cause you to feel uncomfortable. Your therapist will be there to help you through this process and understand these feelings you are having, to learn how to approach them in more effective ways in the future.
The IFS process involves the three main types of parts within you: the firefighter, the manager, and the exile. The firefighter part is a protector that is activated when triggers are present, the manager part protects you by managing situations through planning, and the exile is kept from emerging or it will remind you of pain and trauma. In this process, your therapist will go through steps to help you find these parts of yourself and release your troubles to promote healing.
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The length of IFS therapy and the time it will take to see results or progress differs for every individual. Each person’s inner parts and experiences are unique, so some would find significant progress in a short period while others may take longer. The focus of IFS therapy is not to fix but to understand and embrace the many aspects of yourself to see some results. Some of these positive results would include understanding who you as a person are is, developing more clarity, and understanding how to address and identify issues.
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IFS therapy differs from other therapies in its main focus. You may find that other therapies you have tried focus on identifying problems or thought processes to be fixed. However, IFS focuses on understanding different dynamics within themselves, establishing a relationship with their internal parts and communicating with them. IFS promotes self-awareness, healing, and growth.
When To Reach Out For Support
If you find that you are struggling with depression, anxiety, or trauma with no other therapeutic approaches working for you, and are feeling disconnected from yourself, Healing Voices Psychotherapy is here to help you. Please contact us at 705-715-9107 for a free 15-minute phone or virtual consultation, or click “Book Now” to schedule your first online IFS therapy session.
IFS Therapy In Barrie
4 Sinclair Ct, Barrie,
ON L4N 5X8, Canada
*All therapy sessions are conducted online for your convenience and safety