Powerpoint from Internal Family Systems presentation at TICN.

1. INTERNAL FAMILY
SYSTEMS THERAPY
For the treatment of complex
trauma

2. Ego State Therapy
• Based on premise that we are made up of different states
• Psychodynamic
• Paul Federn psychoanalyst who worked with Freud
• Instead of seeing people made up of only three parts (Id, Ego, and
Superego) like Freud, conceptualized people as made up of many parts
• Concept passed from from Federn to Edoardo Weiss who then passed it to
John Watkins
• Watkins and his wife, Helen, developed this concept into a psychotherapy

3. Multiplicity of Mind
• Viewing individual as a system of interacting minds
• Sub-personalities
• Ego-states
• Understanding how ego-states interact, relate, and feel about each
other
• Understanding how the parts of the system work together or
against each other

4. Internal Family Systems
Developed by Richard Schwartz as new way of conceptualizing and
treating clients
Designed to be:
• Collaborative
• Non-pathologizing
• Enjoyable

5. The Parts
• Self
Sub Personalities:
• Protectors
• Managers
• Firefighters
• Exiles
• No part is bad!

6. Self
• “Self is like the beam of light that refracts in to all the colors of the
rainbow as it passes through a prism and illuminates our parts and
external objects in the world”. Jack Engler
• Referred to by Richard Schwartz as the “I” in the storm
• The center of the system, essence, true nature
• Clarity of perspective
• Natural leadership
• Non-judgmental of other parts

7. Self
• Eight “Cs” of Self
Confident
Connected
Courageous
Curious
Connected
Compassionate
Clear
Calm
Creative

8. Relationship of Self and Parts
• Self-leadership promotes healing and safe containment for parts
• Most of the healing happens with Self becomes a figure to whom it
is safe for other parts to feel attached
• Focus in therapy is developing and nurturing the relationships
between Self and the various parts of the system
• Self in “unblended state” meaning other parts are not blended or
interfering with Self

9. Knowing When Self is Present
• Tone
• Energy
• Breathing
• No agenda or expectation of outcome
• Relaxed

10. Exiles
• Parts that hold pain and trauma
• Are pushed out by protectors
• Oppressed by rest of system and
put in a sort of mental prison to be
kept away from the system
• Want to be heard: Want story told

11. Exiles Continued
• Are desperate at times
• Try to escape their prison cells
• Often appear as flashbacks and nightmares
• Moments of fear or pain
• Want and need to feel loved and cared for
• Carry burden of the system, including unwanted emotions

12. Exiles: Living in Trauma Time
• Frozen in the past
• When exiles escape, flooding of the
system occurs
• Makes person more vulnerable
• Sometimes try to take control of the system
• Dangerous
• Sometimes seek out someone like the abuser in order to find the
compassion, protection, and love they did not initially get..

13. Protectors
• Job is to keep the individual from experiencing pain
Managing and Firefighting
• Use various strategies such as:
• Intellectualizing
• Denial
• Distraction
• Criticism/Control
• Compensation

14. Managers: Keep Exiles Exiled!
• Work on avoiding any situation which
may trigger an exile to escape.
Controlling
Perfectionistic
Intellectual
Obsessive (especially about pushing away
emotions)
Critical

15. Mangers Continued
• Try to maintain control of the whole system
• May give outward appearance of success
Providing drive and focus
• Masters of Self-Sabotage
To protect person from disappointment or responsibility

16. Managers: Other Characteristics
• Reclusiveness
• Passivity
• Detachment emotionally
• Phobia
• Hyperalertness
• Panic Attacks
• Depression

17. Protectors: Firefighters
• Job is to take over if an Exile escapes
• Extinguish
• Feelings
• Thoughts
• Body Sensations
• Memories
• Images
• And anything else associated with trauma
that the exile is holding

18. Firefighter Techniques
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Cutting or other forms of self-mutilation
• Promiscuity
• Overeating
• Anything to put out the fire

19. Firefighters Continued
• Not rational like Managers tend to be
• Tend to be impulsive and destructive
• Firefighter behavior often results in criticism from Managers which
can trigger the cycle of destructive behavior over and over again.

20. Internal Conflicts
Can and do occur between parts
• Managers vs Firefighers
• Managers vs Exiles
• Firefighters vs Exiles
Creates anxiety, internal discord, depression,
confusion, overwhelming emotions
Makes healing much more difficult when internal conflict is high and parts
are phobic of
• Each other
• Trauma work
• Emotion
• Etc.

21. Working it Out: All Parts are Good!
• Identify and work with parts on conflicts
Unblending, Unburdening, Creating Safety for Parts
Identify polarizations and alliances
• Express appreciation and empathy
• Allow parts to be heard
• Learn about part’s job
• Most of all: Strengthen the Self!

22. Self-Led System is Important for Therapists!
• Therapist should display:
• Patience
• Persistence
• Presence
• Perspective
• Playfulness
when working with parts.

23. The Plan
Work with managers first
• Address any fears
• Be respectful of the pace at which they need to work
• Be patient!
Identify and work with dangerous firefighters
Begin working with exiles with the permission of the managers
Check in with the system frequently to make sure everyone is okay
Client will help and learn to monitor when a part is present

24. References
• Earley, J. (2009). Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating
Wholeness and Healing your Inner Child Using IFS, a New, Cutting-Edge
Psychotherapy (Second Edition). Larkspur: Pattern System Books.
• Schwartz, R. C. (1995). Internal Family Systems Therapy. New York:
The Guilford Press.
• Sweezy, M. & Ziskind, E.L. (2013) Internal Family Systems Therapy:
New Dimensions. New York: Routledge.