Internal Family Systems (IFS)
What is internal family systems theory?
Internal family systems was developed in the 1980s by psychologist Richard Schwartz, PhD.
As a family therapist, Schwartz observed clients describing their inner lives as “parts,” which he defines as “conflicted subpersonalities that resided within them.”
Schwartz began tracking the internal interactions between parts and noted they were not static, but flexible to change. Drawing on these observations and his knowledge of systems theory, structural family therapy, narrative therapy, and Bowenian schools of family therapy, Schwartz created the internal family systems model.
In the IFS model, human behavior and identity are based on an individual’s complex system—consisting of an indeterminate number of parts and subpersonalities, each with valuable qualities that play a specific role.
“The Four Basic Goals of IFS 1.Liberate parts from the roles they’ve been forced into, so they can be who they’re designed to be. 2.Restore trust in the Self and Self-leadership. 3.Reharmonize the inner system. 4.Become more Self-led in your interactions with the world.”
Website is being updated on 10.6.24