Internal Family Systems

Imagine your mind as a group of different characters or “parts” that make up who you are. These parts can be like different characters in a movie, each with their own feelings and ideas.

Exiles: Some of these parts might be like characters who have had really tough times in the past. They hold onto hurtful memories and emotions, like sad or scary things that have happened. These parts might act in ways that seem confusing or intense because they’re carrying around all these difficult feelings.

Managers: Then there are parts that try to keep everything in order and under control. They’re like the responsible characters who always want things to go smoothly. Sometimes they can be a bit too strict or critical because they’re afraid of letting those hurtful feelings come back.

Firefighters: When the hurtful feelings do start to come up, there are parts that jump in and try to distract you. They’re like the characters who want to put out a fire and stop those tough feelings from getting too overwhelming. Sometimes they might lead you to do impulsive things or act in ways you didn’t plan.

Now, the main goal of this therapy is to help all these different characters in your mind get along better. It’s like helping them talk to each other and work together. By doing this, you can have a calm and understanding character at the center of everything – let’s call it the “You” character. This “You” character helps everyone else get along and feel better.

So, if you’ve had some tough experiences or feel confused sometimes, it’s like certain characters are carrying those feelings. Therapy helps these characters understand each other and work together so that you can feel more at peace and confident in yourself. It’s a way of making friends with all the different parts of you and finding a balance in your thoughts and feelings.

If you’d like you learn more or this speaks to you, reach out and we can talk about how IFS can assist in your healing process.