Internal family systems (IFS) therapy: An experiential introduction and working with protector parts

Description: This comprehensive two-day workshop offers a structured and experiential introduction to internal family systems (IFS) therapy, followed by an in-depth focus on working with protector parts.

• Day 1 provides a foundational understanding of the IFS model, including core concepts, the structure of an IFS session, and opportunities to engage in experiential exercises to build a felt sense of working with parts. 
• Day 2 builds on this foundation, supporting participants in deepening their clinical skills with a focused exploration of protector parts—learning how to engage with defenses, facilitate un-blending, and work toward transforming protectors into allies in the healing process.

Across both days, participants will benefit from a combination of didactic teaching, experiential practice, and live demonstrations, supporting the integration of IFS principles into clinical work. This workshop is designed to help clinicians move from foundational knowledge to more confident and skillful application of the model in practice.

"This workshop is both personal and professional: explore your own inner parts as the most powerful way to learn the IFS model and apply it with clients.  You will learn how to help your clients’ parts un-blend, identifying protectors and accessing Self-energy as a pathway towards healing.” _ Cleo Haber.

Full Workshop Overview:

Day 1: Foundations of internal family systems (IFS) therapy

Internal family systems (IFS) therapy is one of the most popular and effective evidence-based approaches used today. Day 1 of this workshop provides an experiential introduction to IFS therapy for clinicians who are curious to learn about the model and are seeking guidance on how to begin working with clients informed by this approach. The day will consist of didactic teaching, experiential exercises, and a live demonstration of the model.

Participants will be guided through personal meditation exercises to get to know parts of your own system and engage in a ‘Parts Mapping’ exercise. This will help participants gain a felt sense of the approach to better facilitate the model with your clients. Participants will have the opportunity to watch a demonstration session and practice the model. There will be ample time for questions and discussion.

Through Day 1 of the workshop, participants will learn the basic principles and structure of an IFS session and gain an understanding of how to approach working with your clients informed by this model. Learn how to name and speak for parts and gain knowledge about the different parts of the internal system:

i) The protective parts—managers and firefighters 

ii) Exiled parts that hold wounds from the past and 

iii) Self-energy which is not a part; everyone has a 'Self' that can bring harmony and healing to the system.

Learning objectives:

• Gain an understanding and learn the basic principles of IFS therapy.
• Participate in experiential exercises to get to know parts of their own system.
• Learn the structure of an IFS session.
• Gain the tools to begin working with clients informed by this model.

Day 2: Working with protector parts in IFS therapy

Day 2 builds on the foundational concepts and experiential learning from Day 1, deepening clinical skills in working with protector parts and supporting clinicians in skillfully engaging with client defenses to transform protectors into allies in the healing process.

The day will include didactic teaching, experiential exercises, and a live demonstration. Participants will review the basic structure of an IFS session, focusing on how to facilitate the Self-to-Part connection, identify a target part, check for Self-energy, and support connection while working with protective parts’ concerns.

Participants will learn how to engage with protective parts, apply strategies to support un-blending, use implicit and explicit direct access, and work with polarizations. This portion of the workshop serves to deepen participants’ skills in working with protector parts, which is a critical step before addressing deeper emotional wounds.

Participants will watch a live demonstration session and have the opportunity to break into small groups to practice interventions. There will be ample time for questions and discussion. 

Learning objectives: 

• Gain a deeper understanding of the role protector parts play in your clients’ system
• Learn strategies for working with protector parts
• Participate in experiential exercises to practice working with protector parts
• Gain more tools to work with clients informed by this model

Take the next step in building your IFS-informed practice. Register now to build practical IFS skills—from foundational concepts to working effectively with protector parts.