The inner family – working with inner parts
IFS (Internal Family Systems) is a gentle and effective therapeutic method that can help to heal deep-seated wounds. The focus is on loving attention to our inner parts – and working with them in a variety of ways.
Our shares
In IFS therapy, we learn to understand – and appreciate – all our inner parts as members of an “inner family”. This includes the protectors, the competent, the angry as well as the sad, the injured or the neglected.
We get to know these parts, get in touch with them and listen to them. Sometimes they surprise us with insights that we were previously unaware of. Each part has its own story, its own task – and deserves to be heard.
The self – our inner essence
At the center of the work is the self – our unencumbered, inner essence. It is the most powerful resource we possess. From this state of clarity, calm and compassion, we encounter the various parts of ourselves.
Particularly burdened parts, which may have been repressed for a long time, can be seen, understood, relieved and finally integrated in this process. These are often younger, childlike parts – which is why IFS work is often also a journey to our inner child.
The role of the protective parts
An important aspect of IFS work is understanding our protective parts. They often take on challenging roles – controlling, blocking, avoiding or putting pressure on us – and sometimes act as obstacles. But they fulfill an extremely important function: they try to protect us.
We do not want to “remove” these parts, but rather understand them better. If their original intention is recognized and appreciated, they can be offered a new, helpful place in the inner system. Accepting these parts is a key step on the path to inner balance.
IFS as a method for healing and integration
The IFS model is an excellent way to access intense, often repressed feelings and memories – and offers a variety of ways to deal with them constructively. The work is in-depth, but always at the pace of the self – mindful and respectful.
Supplement: The inner team (according to Schulz von Thun)
Depending on the issue at hand, Friedemann Schulz von Thun’s model can be a valuable addition. In contrast to the IFS model, he does not see the inner parts as autonomous personalities, but as helpful metaphors – as members of an inner team.
Especially in professional or everyday contexts, it can be helpful to reposition team members like a trainer – flexibly, creatively and solution-oriented. This model invites a playful approach to inner voices and often leads to surprising aha-moments.
