Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a treatment modality and a way to understand and differentiate between your authentic “Self” and parts of yourself, and how the Self and parts of you interact. These terms are defined in IFS. The Self is often defined as a source of relaxed energy, while parts of you are important and have good intentions, they may be operating based on fears, and can be depleting. After clarifying the difference between Self and parts, and having permission to focus on a part or help it, here are a sample of questions that can be explored:
- Is there a part of you that you would like to change?
- Identify this part’s positive intention for the future?
- What does it fear?
- What do you feel about it? (This is a way to differentiate between different parts of you).
- Are parts willing to step aside for a time to find Self?
- Are parts willing to have Self help make a change?
- For the spiritual, are the parts willing to have God help make a change?
- The Self can also witness the past feelings, thoughts, and sensations of a traumatic incident that an exiled and protected part has experienced.
- Once revealed, the Self can now meet the needs of the exiled part.
- The Self and part leave the scene when ready to find safety and change in the present.
