This course is based on an interview with Richard Schwartz, PhD, the founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS). IFS offers sound theory and refined tools for clinicians to achieve a fundamental shift of the primary healing relationship from therapist-client to client’s “Self-client” parts, freeing up the therapist to help the client cultivate clarity, courage, and confidence in her or his own healing powers.

Dr. Schwartz developed a way of dealing with these inner wars that has been called: “an elegant synthesis of the best principles of family systems therapy.” Over the past 30 years, he has been refining this approach, called Internal Family Systems (IFS). With the help of many articulate clients and some of the finest minds in our field, he has developed clear guidelines that assist experienced and novice clinicians to access parts within ourselves and our clients quickly, listen to them deeply and help them let go of lifelong burdens and hence function better within the person’s internal system.

Learning objectives:

1. Explain the basic theory of Internal Family Systems, including concepts of the natural multiplicity of the mind, the Self and Parts.

2. Describe how the IFS approach resolves trauma and improves functioning.

3. Understand how various symptoms typically seen as pathology can be viewed as protective activity of parts.

4. Discuss how the IFS model enhances or overlaps with other therapeutic models, and with macro approaches to improving social justice, at home and worldwide.