Discovering the Internal Family Systems Model for Healing
Have you ever felt like you have multiple personalities or voices in your head? Do you find yourself struggling to manage conflicting thoughts and emotions?
You’re not alone. The Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) is a therapeutic approach that recognizes everyone has different parts within them.
Sounds weird? Let’s unpack what that means to IFS.
The IFS model approaches our emotional and psychological issues as parts, where our true self is the core.
This can be difficult to understand at first. However, the idea is that our true selves are not defined by our thoughts or emotions but are present underneath all of our experiences.
Suppose you take a common example of two parts of you who might disagree, your intellect and your emotions. Your intellect part could be urging you to study for an exam, but your emotional part wants to watch your favorite show more.
By separating these two parts, you can be thoughtful instead of impulsive and assess which choice will lead to an outcome that you value, given your life goals.
Protectors and Exiles
The concept of protectors and exiles is central to IFS. Protectors are the parts of us that manage our emotions and help keep us safe.
Traumatized parts, angry parts, and reactive parts are examples of protectors that can help us cope in times of given difficulty. Exiles are the vulnerable parts of us that contain our emotional pain and trauma.
These parts often hold a lot of shame and can become hidden away. Our protectors work hard to keep the exiles from being exposed and prevent us from being overwhelmed with emotions.
Working with Parts
The goal of IFS is to heal these wounded parts so that we can live with greater inner harmony. Through IFS therapy, we work at creating a healthy relationship with each part.
This means honoring and listening to the parts that protect us and thanking them for their efforts. When we are more grounded in our true self, we can lead a flourishing life.
The best part of IFS is that it is something anyone can do. Through self-reflection and journaling, you can become more aware of your internal parts.
By identifying which parts are helping you and which are not, you can start to work towards healing and creating a healthier relationship with yourself.
The Vignette
Let’s take a look at an example from everyday life. Imagine a situation where you get a light bulb from a new techie brother-in-law.
The packaging looks suspicious to you, and you can’t help but feel uncomfortable. You start to wonder if this is the best type of light bulb for your home or if he’s recommending this light bulb just to show off his knowledge.
This creates confusion, and you begin to feel like you cannot trust his expertise.
IFS Analysis
In this scenario, it is necessary to analyze the different parts of yourself to understand why you feel this way. The suspicious part of you is trying to protect you from making a mistake and ending up in the dark.
There may be an inner traumatized child that has had an experience with light bulbs in the past, which could be driving the suspicious part to protect you from the same unfortunate event.
The protective part of you needs to be acknowledged and thanked for looking out for your best interests.
Once the protective part has been recognized, you can begin to soothe and reassure it, alleviating the fear, and letting it know that you are safe. This is just one simple example of how using the IFS model can help us become aware of our internal protective and exile parts and create a better relationship with ourselves.
In conclusion, Internal Family Systems is a powerful tool that can assist in creating deeper relationships with yourself. By understanding and recognizing the different internal parts of ourselves, we can begin to identify which parts require healing.
The journey to a more harmonious self is essential to find inner peace. Remember, it’s okay to have different parts of yourself.
It’s learning to heal and manage them that is crucial. The more we become aware of our protective and exile parts, the more we will lead a serene and tranquil life.
Prioritizing the True Self
The Internal Family Systems Model teaches us the importance of looking inward to heal and find our true selves. When we learn to prioritize our true self and work with, not against, our parts, we can create healthier interactions and relationships with others.
Prioritizing the True Self
The true self is the core of who we are. It is the part of us that is not defined by our experiences, emotions or beliefs.
Prioritizing our true self means we honor our needs, values, and aspirations and make decisions that align with them. When we prioritize our true selves, we can communicate in an authentic and honest way, which strengthens our relationships.
When we operate from our protective parts, they may try to hide our true self under protective layers. These protective layers are ways for us to cope with the world around us and prevent us from being hurt.
However, while these protectors can be helpful in the short term, they can limit us in the long run. These protective layers can often cause problems in relationships, as the true self is not given a chance to come through.
We may be too busy trying to please others or avoid conflict, that we lose sight of what we want and need. This can result in us feeling undervalued, unappreciated, and unfulfilled.
Forging Healthy Interactions
When we work with our parts and prioritize our true selves, we can communicate our needs and values more effectively. Honoring our true self enables us to have healthier interactions and relationships with others.
We can connect with people on a deeper level because we are not afraid to be our authentic selves. When we work through our parts, we can also begin to understand how our past experiences have impacted us.
For example, if we have had a traumatizing experience in a past relationship, we may have parts, such as the protectors, that want to prevent us from experiencing that trauma again. However, as we work through these parts, we can learn to work with them and not let them limit us from experiencing new relationships.
Communication is essential when it comes to healthy interactions and relationships. It is vital to communicate effectively and honestly with others and yourself.
By understanding and working with our parts, we can communicate our needs to others in a more effective way. This enables us to build deeper and meaningful relationships where both our needs and those of the other person are met.
The Role of Technology
Technology can be useful in our relationships, but it can also be a hindrance. Social media and apps can often be a distraction from our true selves.
They can convince us to present a certain image and hide our authentic selves under layers of protective parts. When we let technology consume our time, we may not be making enough space to work with our parts.
We may become more disconnected from our true selves and the people around us. We may begin to prioritize what we see on the internet instead of our inner voice, leaving us feeling unfulfilled and alone.
Prioritizing our true selves can enable us to use technology in a positive way. We can use social media as a tool to communicate with people we care about and connect with others in a more authentic manner.
Final Thoughts
Working with parts can be a challenging but rewarding experience. It takes time, patience, and self-care.
By prioritizing our true self, we can create healthier interactions and stronger relationships with others. Technology can either support or disrupt this process, and it is up to us to make conscious choices that prioritize our true selves and healthy relationships.
In conclusion, the Internal Family Systems Model is a powerful tool for healing that emphasizes the importance of understanding and working with our internal parts. By prioritizing our true selves and healthy communication, we can build stronger relationships with others and ourselves.
Our protectors play an integral role in keeping us safe, but it is crucial to work with them and not let them limit us. Furthermore, social media and technology can support or disrupt our journey to our true selves, and it is up to us to make conscious choices.
By making the effort to work with our parts and value our true selves, we can create a more satisfying and fulfilling life.
