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Introduction to Internal Family Systems - 2nd Edition

Cover of Internal Family Systems 2nd Edition

IFS changes lives

Discover this profoundly life-changing experience.

Family

No Bad Parts

Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model

No Bad Parts cover

What is Internal Family Systems?

Transformative psychotherapy… and empowering paradigm.

IFS is a transformative tool that conceives of every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts led by a core Self. We believe the mind is naturally multiple and that is a good thing. Just like members of a family, inner parts are forced from their valuable states into extreme roles within us. Self is in everyone. It can’t be damaged. It knows how to heal. 

IFS is frequently used as an evidence-based psychotherapy, helping people heal by accessing and healing their protective and wounded inner parts. IFS creates inner and outer connectedness by helping people first access their Self and, from that core, come to understand and heal their parts.  

But IFS is much more than a non-pathologizing evidence-based psychotherapy to be used in a clinical setting. It is also a way of understanding personal and intimate relationships and stepping into life with the 8 Cs: confidence, calm, compassion, courage, creativity, clarity, curiosity, and connectedness. Professionals from many different backgrounds such as, but not limited to, body workers, legal mediation, school administration, life coaches, and religious leaders may utilize IFS to inform and guide their work. Our growing list of educational programs aims to serve not only therapists but the wider public and other professions.  

The mission of IFS Institute is to bring more Self leadership to the world. 

Video

An Overview of IFS

Training

Professional IFS 
Training and Certification

IFS Institute offers three progressive levels of professional training for those wishing to become IFS therapists and practitioners. An IFS Level 1 Training is the minimum requirement for practicing IFS in a clinical or professional setting.

IFS Certified Therapists and IFS Certified Practitioners carry a distinguished mark demonstrating competency and experience of the IFS model. Learn more about becoming IFS Certified here.

IFS Institute is organizing more trainings! If you would like us to email you when new trainings become available, please sign up for email notifications here.

Online Learning

IFS Online Circle

IFS Online Circle

Our signature introductory online course taught by Dr. Richard Schwartz and Senior IFS trainers, Toni Herbine-Blank and Pam Krause. Enrollment opens each March and September when we offer monthly teachings progressing through the concepts of IFS including The Flow of the Model, The Protective System, Fears of the Protectors, Working with Exiles, Polarizations, Direct Access and In-Sight, and more. We will open enrollment for this program in Spring 2024.

IFS Continuity Program

IFS Continuity Road Image

Our Continuity Membership Program is for those who are enrolled in or have completed an IFS Level 1 Training and those who have already participated in the Online Circle program. This online community is a global platform for continuous learning to deepen IFS knowledge and skills. Enrollment opens three times a year as we introduce a new four-month course.

blue mountains

2024 IFS Institute Annual Conference

October 24-25, 2024
We hope you'll join us online in 2024. More Information Coming Soon!

The IFS Institute Conference welcomes individuals of all levels - from seasoned IFS Therapists and Practitioners to those who are new to the IFS Model - and anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of IFS. Attendees can earn IFS Certification Credits, explore a variety of learning opportunities and connect with IFS practitioners from around the world.  The conference provides a unique platform to broaden your understanding of IFS, interact with leaders in the Model, and be in community with others who share a passion for IFS.

IFS News

International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day! IFS Institute celebrates women! We are proud that 78% of our team is women identified and 82% of our trainers are too. Today we are spotlighting IFSI Australian Co-Lead Trainer, Emma Diamond. She shares her experience with IFS as an international woman and how identity informs her practice.

Workshops / Retreats

Trauma and the Internal Family Systems Model: Releasing Personal and Legacy Burdens

Location

Location: Live on Zoom, this event will not be recorded.

Schedule

Thursday, April 4, 2024 & Friday, April 5, 2024

This presentation will provide a brief review of the basics of the IFS model by Richard Schwartz, PhD, who developed the model, then will focus in detail on its use with attachment injuries and trauma related presenting problems. IFS is a non-pathologizing, hopeful framework within which to practice psychotherapy certified as an evidence-based practice by SAMHSA. IFS offers both a conceptual umbrella under which a variety of practices and different approaches can be grounded and guided, and a set of original techniques for creating safety and fostering Self-to-Self connection in individuals...

Testimonials

IFS has been the single most influential model by which I view the world, my interactions with others and myself.  It is more than a model for professionals in the mental health field. It is a model that facilitates one's personal growth and is intuitive and easily accessible.  It is applicable and versatile for a myriad of contexts including corporate teams and school classrooms.

Ellyn, Chicago IL

Great insight is developing my own ability to have presence and help my coaching clients do the same - plus opportunity to connect to a unique, warm, and supportive community.

M. Hurwich

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