Developed over the past three decades, the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model offers an empowering and nonpathologizing approach to treating trauma. It helps clients access an undamaged essence from which they heal the parts (subpersonalities) of them that continue to live in shock, pain, and shame. Many trauma therapies propose that the existence of subpersonalities is a sign of pathology, a consequence of the fragmentation of the psyche by traumatic experiences. In contrast, the IFS model sees all parts as innately valuable components of a healthy mind.  Trauma does not create these parts, but instead forces many of them out of their naturally valuable functions and healthy states and into protective and extreme roles, resulting in a loss of trust in the leadership of the client's Self, which in IFS is an inner essence of calm, confidence, clarity, connectedness and creativity. This essence does not need to be developed or cultivated and is not damaged by trauma. Most people, and particularly trauma clients, have little access to their Self in their daily lives because it is obscured by the protective parts that dominate them. When their parts trust that it is safe to allow their Self to manifest, clients will immediately display those strengths. The goal then becomes not to eliminate parts but instead to help them relax into the knowledge that they no longer have to be so protective. IFS assists them in realizing that they are no longer under the same level of threat and that there exists a natural inner leader who they can trust. This presentation will provide an introduction to the basics of the IFS model and its use with attachment and trauma. An overview of IFS and its clinical applications will be presented and illustrated with video.

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Educational Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants will be able to:
 

• identify the basic theory and principles of Internal Family Systems therapy

• know how to access their clients’ Self- a core of compassion and other leadership qualities

• deal with client “resistance” more effectively and with less effort

• know how to utilize the clients’ Self  to repair attachment injuries 

• recognize the IFS model as an internal attachment model

• identify the parallels between external and internal attachment  styles

• identify the effects of trauma on parts and Self

• utilize the model in treating trauma

• gain an awareness of their own parts and how those parts impact therapy

• apply IFS principles to transference and counter-transference