What is IFS Therapy? | Intro to Internal Family Systems
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 มิ.ย. 2024
- Welcome to Part 1 in my series: What is IFS? Internal Family Systems Therapy, Explained. In this video, I provide an introduction to IFS Therapy. I explain some of the core concepts of IFS such as parts work, and the science behind these parts. I also briefly discuss how the approach of an IFS therapist might differ from the methods of other experiential therapists.
You know, one thing I would like to mention, is that in this video I say "in a pathological sense" when referring to people with DID (what we used to call 'multiple personality disorder'). Of course my meaning was that to have multiple parts is not linked to any kind of mental health problem...it's just the way we are born. But now when I hear myself saying 'pathological sense' when talking about DID, I sort of cringe...because really everything in the mind is adaptive...even the more severe separation of our parts in the form of DID. In my haste to make a quick point, I think I used a word (pathological) that I wouldn't normally use...or even believe in. So apologies for that.
#toriolds #partswork #ifs #therapy
00:00 An Introduction to Internal Family Systems Therapy
01:15 “Parts Work” in IFS Therapy
03:37 The Neuroscience Behind IFS Therapy and Parts Work
05:17 How Childhood Experiences and Implicit Memory Create “Our Parts”
08:00 Why Do We Have Many Different Parts?
11:06 There Are No Bad Parts
15:54 IFS: A Relational Frame for Working With Schemas
For information about my "Minding the Heart" training groups or to sign up for my video courses and earn mental health education CEUs, check out toriolds.com
For more information about Memory Reconsolidation you can find my video here: • Memory Reconsolidation...
As a new therapist, the way you explained this gives me hope for myself and my clients. Now I feel I need a therapist.
I had to pause the video many times to get up out of my seat and scream in gratitude for all of the nuggets in this video. So much of what you shared resonated and I thank you for producing content like this.
Oh thanks so much for this very kind comment! So glad to receive it! :)
Tori, your eloquence is really something special. In my opinion, your compassionate presence alone contains a healing energy. If you ever created a course or did more of these types of videos to help patients directly at a large scale, I think your efforts would be profoundly successful and transformative for so many.
Her presence is soothing and "safe". 🥰
@@lalaithan exactly, "safe" in brackets. she comes across like a maniac who's also a really good actor and has perfectly learned the mannerisms of a kindly and happy caring person, and doing them in just a slightly exagerrated way, but is actually dead inside, from some cliche psychopath killer movie with bodies in a meat locker. She reminds me of Dr, Gross from Adventure Time with her controlled and carefully choreographed, seemingly motherly voice.
She is gorgeous, talented and very articulate, both in her speech and in her motions, very well built too, but she is definitely playing a character.
@@infinitestareyou might find shadow work interesting. Sending good thoughts! ❤
@@coppersense999 I'm aware of what that is but if anyone needs that it's the lady in the video lol. she also needs to be hospitalized for a little bit for being a psycho leader of some secret blood-cult
@@infinitestare that was quite a spin!
I actually met my internal family and I was shocked to see that they were actual beings and I even recognized them it was very life changing.
I was exhausted and had given up hope of finding something that truly addressed the root of the cyclical depression I have contended with my whole life. I believe I was led to IFS and Dr Tori. Like others I found some information cumbersome and overwhelming and am elated to have found Dr Tori's videos on the subject. My whole being resonates with what she describes so simply and compassionately. I am so grateful for this gift.
In order to keep things simple for myself, I denied I had parts. Seemed simple right, the less parts, the less work. This only made things worse. The more I chose to focus on fitness and body image, the more I craved and ate junk food. I would sometimes freak out at the thought of having many parts, like I was crazy, so I exiled some. Then I found this approach on yet another 2 a.m. insomnia TH-cam search. Lol. I must admit that denying my parts created more suffering, so the logical approach now is to welcome them all to the party and start mingling. Lol.
I'm 32, a former addict been clean for a year +, I'm looking to get back to therapy this time using the IFS model. I still haven't heard someone explain it that well, I'm starting IFS therapy next week and so excited ! Thank you for the informative and beautifully explained playlist you made about the topic. You're the reason I'm going back to therapy❤
Oh, that’s great to hear!! Thanks for telling me, Marin! :)
I feel this is exactly what I needed to learn! I have CPTSD, and developed chronic fatigue after an excessively stressful career and toxic relationship. There's all this ruminating going on in my head and dysregulation of the body. Healing has been very slow but I am still triggered a lot. I am worried when I can ever get back to a more normal life. Appreciate the way you present this information.
I feel you! I have CFS, resulting from a dysregulated limbic system, the root cause being a very stressful childhood and traumas. I hope IFS + psychedelic therapy will help me to rewire my brain :)
Glad it was helpful! Yeah, many therapy models don't really work deeply enough to reach our inner world or body in a meaningful way. So worth exploring experiential therapies, for sure....
Yeah, IFS and psychedelic therapy is a good combo and starting point!! Hope they are impactful for you...
I would like to also note to anyone reading this that using psychedelics should be from a professional medical practitioner, not something you bought illegally without knowing the dose of the product. Psychedelic actually caused a lot more extra PTSD for me, and I wanted to share that. Please be on the side of caution when dealing with psychedelics.
This is very interesting. During my integrative group session for my Ketamine therapy program, the host brought up this system and I immediately wanted to know more
You explained this SO thoroughly. Oh my goodness. Teaching is your calling. I've never seen information delivered so clearly and warmly.
Hello,
Not sure this is the place, but wanted to tell you that your work is amazing. Having spent the past few years trying to learn from Van der Kolk, Porges, Levine, Mate about polyvagal theory, somatic therapy, IFS etc., I was blown away watching your videos. I watched hours of IFS videos after five minutes I thought “Wow, she is way better at explaining this than Richard Schwartz”.
Your voice is calming, you look very nice, and the sound and video quality. Most importantly is that you don’t need a PhD to understand what you are saying. The less safe you feel, the more your parts are activated, the more compromised your cognitive function is. You have made the meaning and application more accessible than anything I’ve seen.
I love the bicycle analogy. The emotional danger alarm evolves all the way to the complex patterns and schemas. It’s automatic. I don’t think to myself there was a 8% change in the angle of the pitch in the road therefore I will shift 1.7 pounds of weight to correct angle... It just happens.
You also suggested the idea “I am deeper than my pain”. Another way to think of it is that I am not my pain. The pain, the event, the memory, the response, are together like a cloud. I am more like the sky. The 8 C’s. I need to be careful not to forget that I am the sky and think I’m the cloud. Caught up in the darkness, rain or whatever characteristics. I am so much more than that.
In that way I like to think that I am what is before the thoughts. The place where the thoughts are happening. When I am suffering, if can recognize that it is not the information causing that state, but its a somatic response generated by the schema or parts, I can return to myself. The IFS dialog is a powerful tool to update the schemas if I can really step back from it. I found that Tara Brach’s RAIN meditation (Recognize, allow, investigate, nurture) also helpful.
Often the schema doesn’t have a narrative. We can’t explain to a crying baby that it’s over reacting, it’s safe, there’s no life threat etc. In my case there were many adverse childhood events before and after I was born. The baby feels unsafe because it’s not familiar with the environment. You can swaddle the baby in a blanket or in your arms. Over time this fear response will dissipate. In the same way the more I embrace my suffering in a healthy way the better chance I have to move past it.
When we identify with the schemas we feel shame, resentment, anger, anxiety and think the trigger is the cause or that is who I am the schemas become more powerful. Even in therapy or support groups we can find ourselves identifying with the suffering and finding strategies to avoid pain, but never really change the pattern or recover from the trauma.
My entire life I have been at war with myself. Shame and attachment trauma have been so difficult to understand. Something to fight and cover up. Your video is very helpful in my effort to stop fighting those parts of me. The clarity of your message has been helping me to return to myself from the clouds. There may be a long way to go but it finally feel like I’m making progress.
Sorry for such a long note, I didn’t have time to write a shorter one (MT)...
Dean
Beautifully written. This framework (and somatic expericing) provides a logical way out of trauma, low self esteem and disregualtion for us trauma survivors. One that previous therpies haven’t been able to replicate. It is no longer a life sentence
Dean, thank you❤❤❤❤ what you wrote helped me immensely
Haven't read all you wrote, but want to echo the opening. Back around 2015 and on, I read van der Kolk, had EMDR and looked at a lot of somatic experiencing type stuff on TH-cam. I was desperately searching for something I never got.
A big change came for me when I found Hilary Jacobs Hendel's book on AEDP, but really, its Tori's content I feel I was always looking for back then. Have only been watching it for a couple of days, but am putting the ideas into practice on my own and already feel I've had major breakthroughs and feel so much better. I do also think I'll try to find a therapist to do the work with again now.
Thank you for this series! I've been doing IFS therapy and I've really struggled to try and explain it to my husband. I'm going to send him this series instead.
I almost skipped this video because I already know what IFS is, but I'm VERY glad I didn't. You see, while some parts of me feel like IFS makes so much sense, at least one part of me is skeptical and tends to look for more 'scientific' explanations of things. I love the way you explained exactly how IFS makes sense in a scientific way, and I want to go back and listen to this again but take notes this time so I can remind that part (or those parts?) when they try to dissuade me from continuing with IFS therapy. I also just love the way you explain things overall, and the amazing level of compassion in your voice and the things you say. Thank you so much for doing what you do and for creating these videos.
I'm listening to this and wondering how I'm only hearing about this now. It makes so much sense! I have a very strong inner critic which causes me to work very hard without any sense of achievement. It leaves me feeling constantly anxious, then tired. The parts model really connects with me and I'd like to learn more. You have explained it very well Dr Tori.
Thank you! I've been involved in various modalities of therapy for many years. Most recently, my therapist and I have been doing parts work (and some EMDR). I've never before felt it "working" as I do now. The concept is not always easy to grasp so I was very happy to find your videos. You offer clarity, explanation, and hope that I'm on the right track. I've had a family member tell me "Well, MY therapist doesn't think much of EMDR and parts work." At first, I was really annoyed as it felt like just another attack on my attempts to become healthy and whole. But now, I'm just thankful that I've come to know my therapist and these modalities and can actually feel the difference. I've got a long way to go and sometimes it feels brutal, but it offers strength, stability and hope. These are things I haven't felt for so long I had given up.
Anyway, thank you again for these videos and all of your work! It means the world to many of us! 🤗
I am super impressed with Dr. Olds's approach. It's like re-learning IFS all over again. I am blown away at the simplicity in the complex model she presents. Wow, amazing. I am going to re-look at how I present IFS to my Clients. I have used her content in my meet and greet with new clients. I have been seeing some things that did bother me about IFS, and this may not be the spot to say anything, but I was not aware that IFS therapists were charging $250-$325 an hour (yes this does depend on where you live) for IFS sessions. I am sure they believe they are worth it, and I want to support those parts of them that are so confident. But I believe Dr. Schwartz's mission to heal the globe starts with us IFS trained practitioners being willing to make IFS affordable. People should not have to take on a second job in order to get access to it. I am super passionate about this style of therapy and believe everyone should have access to it. Thank you Dr. Olds for being so clear and helpful in your explanations. Your content is making a huge difference.
Hey I agree. So excited tha I found on another one of Tori's videos. Want to support your message and Tori. Her content has explained these things better than my origional therapist. I had to stop going to therapy because it was too expensive. IFS for the People!!!!
I am new to IFS and your videos are clear, inspiring and healing. Thank you Tori for sharing with such sweet eloquence. Your style of teaching is calm, kind and reassuring.
This is the best explanation of IFS that I have ever heard Tori!! As a Level 3 trained IFS Practitioner Im always looking for resources for clients and for people who attend my workshops.... I love sending them to your page. I love that you dont use the usual IFS jargon. Yay, yay.
Oh, that's wonderful to hear!! Especially from someone advanced in IFS! Thank you so much for the lovely comment...and for sharing with others. Really appreciate that ;)
I'm glad you said IFS is not for multiple personality disorders only. I had a therapist who didn't showed me how to find my parts. Just told me I had to do shadow work but not how. I think she put into my mind I had much more unknown parts and was surprised I had too few.
I'm really confused and I think I felt push about naming parts that are just feelings or character traits not parts.
I think she planted ideas which were not mine. Other said identity or personality is just one and if I had parts I have multiple personality disorder.
Late to the party but I recently started doing IFS therapy and this is a very educational video that helped me understand better what's the approach and purpose. When I was introduced to it I was very confused and not sure if it was suitable for me, but I understand that "the part" of me that is resisting doing the work is just trying to protect me from looking straight at some hurtful things I need to address with love, patience, and compassion and I am giving it a try. Thank you for your video.
This is the best "simple" explination of how and why we create personalities/programs/parts. Thank you for serving the world is such a beautiful way.
Tori, your gentleness is so inviting. I took an IFS training and it was so confusing that it was off putting. But whenever I’ve implemented parts language into my sessions with clients it’s been impressive how powerful it has been.
She has an incredible way of making very complex concepts easy to digest. There is no decoding necessary. I love her videos
where do you start?
Dr. Olds - This was absolutely brilliant. You radiate with compassion and connection. The approach is clear (practically self-evident) with a current of loving compassion. Looking forward to the rest of this series. Thank you.
Just sent this video to a client who has never heard of parts. I am moved almost to tears to have your very clear and understandable video available to introduce such an important concept to people. I love your tone, the way you do it and the credibility that you back yourself up with. Thanks a million.
This is SUCH a helpful explanation and introduction to IFS! I started working on IFS recently at my therapist's suggestion, but it's been hard to explain how/why it works to other people. The idea of having subpersonalities feels intuitive for me as the person actually experiencing working through trauma, but many videos on IFS do a poor job of explaining the actual scientific ideas behind why parts exist. It's often an explanation from common phrases, or abstract ideas in the popular consciousness, but explaining parts as learned ways of being and behaving that make up part of the whole of who we are feels like a more solid way of explaining the rationale behind IFS.
This is so helpful, Tori! Best explanation of the underlying neurobiology I've ever heard. Thank you for so generously sharing your wealth of knowledge and experience!
Thanks for the kind comment, Nancy!! Truly appreciate it ;)
Really appreciate all your content. As a professor, I also recognize how much time goes into scripting, delivering, and producing these. So smooth!
Thank you so much for this Tori, you explain this therapy so clearly and make it understandable.
MSMFT here. I’m learning IFS right now and your video resonates so well. Thank you for creating this series! 🙏
Beautiful and accessible explanation of what can be an overwhelming topic. You are a natural teacher and communicator. Thank you for all your hard work - what a gift!
Thanks Billy!! Really appreciate it ;)
Fantastic explanation and you are so genuine, great job!
Absolutely wonderful 😊thank you for sharing.. exactly what I was seeking
Extraordinary video! Tori, you are so natural, warm and eloquent. And I gotta say, the eggs at 8:19 lightened my heart so much!
The BEST insight I’ve ever heard! Thank you dr Tori!
wow I think listening to her calmed some of my parts. thank you.
Thank you so much for giving this to anyone that needs it.
I’ve never had so much break through so fast.
Thank you! Couldn't stop crying the whole video
Thank you so much for this course. So helpful.
Your voice is so calming
Thank you for this
This is just what i am in need of right now. I have much work to do... I have subscribed and I will begin now learning more about IFS.
these videos are so informative, thank god there is people like you in the world
I just started learning abt IFS and I love how gentle and clearly you explain things.
I will be sharing this with my new clients! It is so helpful. Thank you.
I love your positive energy, warmth and intelligence ❤
Parts of me didn’t initially choose to watch this video because there were shorter IFS videos available.
But when this auto-played, another part of me cried 5 times through the duration of your explanations because of how helpful and resonant this information and your compassion is to me. I’m excited to go deeper (after I’ve had a good rest, since another part kept me up until til 3 or 4 am the past few nights 😅)
Thank you
So well done Tori.
What a beautiful way to share the approach with logical and scientific parts. Thank you.
Thank you for this video. I appreciate you explaining it in such a way that is easy to understand and relate to. I love IFS but don't feel like I'm competent in applying it with my clients yet so this video really helps!
I receive IFS therapy and have been learning things from your videos. Thanks so much for your clear explanations. I can't wait for the next one!
Thanks Eric! That's great to hear :)
Wow. What a healing class! Thank you for it ❤
Karen what an amazing reading - I’m definitely filled with love and I’m bathing in this energy 💚 💫 x
Thanks for this gentle introduction! I've never heard of IFS but recognise some concepts from it. I plan to watch more.
(Thank you also for the mention of Longfellow. I'm now devouring his poetry.)
Clearly, deeply and beautifully put. I learn so much listening to your videos Tori - I return to then often as there is so much in each. There is so much hope and warmth in your message.
Awe, thanks Tony. You're the best...great seeing you today! ;)
I love the way you teach. Each piece of information is so clearly explained and each step builds on the last. You have the gift of expressing simply while honoring the complexity. You make it so accessible and your presence is inviting, respectful and grounded. Thanks so much for freely sharing this.
Fantastic presentation of what IFS is. Excellent presentation, deep understanding, really good
OMG you are serving the humanity with your Chanel ..💙
Thank you Dr. Olds! You have such a gift for making complex ideas easy to understand! Keep these videos coming! All of the parts of me appreciate you!
Thank you, Julie! Will do! :)
I’m always astounded at how many disciplines (especially psychology and spirituality) overlap, compliment one another, or just plain say the same thing using different words lol.
Love Dr. Olds. Such valuable info communicated so simply.
Thanks Scott!! Appreciate you saying so!! ;)
Bravo! Grateful to come across your channel. As an IFS trained therapist working with active duty Army, I appreciate your kind, clear presence and helpful metaphors. Excited to share your videos with my clients. You have a gift, thank you for sharing it 🙏🏽🙏🏻
Oh wow!! I would love the thought that my videos could be of service to those who give up so much to protect others!! Please send along my thanks for all your clients for all that they give!!!
where do you start from
I really appreciate the explanation of how to think about internal parts. I'm one of those people that has struggled with that - less because of the concept itself, but more-so as it relates to speaking to these parts as individuals. I think as a recovering addict I developed something of an aversion to it because it felt like I was supposed to be disowning or separating from some of myself whenever I'd hear someone talk about their addiction as something that was "out to get them". It's very helpful to hear a clear explanation of a more nuanced perspective that isn't so adversarial. Looking forward to watching the subsequent videos.
Wow. Fantastic overview. Thank you. !
Makes a lot of sense. Explains why even though I’ve done tons of therapy and learned to use so many skills, I’m still suffering a lot.
Thank you. Now I have to do the work. You are a big help to me.
This gave me goosebumps as the realization set in on what I just bumped into this is life changing information and I’m beyond excited to go on this journey share this with everyone you know and love ❤️
You are fantastic at explaining things, I'm excited to watch the rest of the series!!
I've been recommended this video and series of videos for a year now by my therapist but never got around to watching it. Now that I have I'm crying. I'll take a break before watching the rest.
I have been working within the IFS model for a couple years. I am *so grateful* for this very clear video. I plan to share it with others and watch more of your videos! Thank you!!! 🤩💞
So incredibly clear and helpful! Your work is brilliant! We are so lucky to have you!
Lucky to have y'all as well!! ;)
Love this. You have a beautiful way of presenting this way of working. Looking forward to the next video.
Thanks Gale!! Next video up next week (5 total). Thanks for staying tuned ;)
I started this with my therapist very recently, after being very confused as to what this all really is, you made it all make sense! Ill admit, even the way Schwartz explained it didn't really click, your explanation made that lightbulb go off. I can't wait to watch the rest of your videos... however right now I'm going to listen to the part of me that's telling me it needs a nap 😂
Oh, so glad to hear this! Thanks for sharing:)
I like your ideas helping and breaking down complex human beings.letting people understand how to keep going forward.I have brought all my family's likes into my own instead of liking my own .colors animals food.
Great explanation on IFS, thank you.
This is a great video ! Thank you for your work Dr Olds!
My pleasure! Thanks for the nice comment! ;)
You're videos are not only immensely helpful but also a great map to an unknown inner world. Thank you for doing this
Thank you in turn for the kind comment ;) I appreciate it...
Wow! That is the best explanation of this type of therapy. Very clear, concise and easy to understand. Looking forward to the next videos.
Thanks Jo! I'll be doing a livestream after the 'premiere' (when the next video first launches) next tuesday...so feel free to come if you'd like to chat! ;)
Love the metaphors and way IFS is described in this video! Have already shared the idea of parallel processors :) so helpful. Thank you for sharing this Tori!
Thanks Kelly!! Love seeing you on here ;)
Thank you so much for this video. Both as someone who had their first real taste of parts work therapy just today for myself, and as an incoming mental health counseling grad student.
Oh wow! That's really cool!! So glad you could hear the explanation right after experiencing some of your own parts work! Very cool...glad to help ;)
Thank you for this, I’m searching for the tools to help heal myself and keep myself upright. My relationships have been hurting and the worst one of all is the one I have with myself.
Long ago I mused that there must be many different parts of me, after watching your video I realized I can’t shut them all out. They need understanding. Thank you again for this inspiration and hope
Tori, this is so helpful, thank you so much for this eloquent explanation of IFS, and your voice is also soothing. I'm a therapist and when I learned about IFS, and that's two months ago, I knew, I would be using this modality in my work with clients and my own healing.
Brilliantly put and so so helpful. An excellent video series - thank you.
You're very welcome! Thanks Lucy ;)
Will be using your videos in my practice! Thank you for making them 🙏🏽❤️✝️👣🌄
Dr Tori, you are like the Dr Mobeen Syed/Drbeen of psychology. You explain the complex so well that it is easy for a person with training to grasp it. Thank you for all your content.
The best! Very helpful for blending the science with the emotion piece. Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge
Thanks for leaving a sweet comment, Lisa! ;) Miss ya...
Thank you for producing this wonderful video!
Thanks Courtney!! Appreciate the kind comment!! ;)
Bumping this up. Awesome.
Thank u so much for going to the trouble of rooting this wonderful therapy in science - I think it goes a long way to breaking down barriers and giving those who r more logically minded a chance to experience something new :)
That’s great to hear!! Thanks for the kind comment :)
This is so beautiful! Thank you ❤️
Thanks for such a clear description of IFS. I really appreciate your work in making this so easy to understand!
You're welcome! Thanks for the comment!
Thank you so much. This hits me right in the feels, i keep getting emotional without really knowing why. Kinda like some really good punk rock. I have some figuring out to do and this feels like it's going to help. THank you thank you
Very helpful explanation of IFS!
I've been searching for quite a while on this specific thing (to the point where I'd nearly just made my own) - content that breaks down and explains how non-shaming and easily understandable the IFS model can be. Thank you for making this and I look forward to sharing it.
You're so welcome! Thanks for the kind comment! ;)
I’m so grateful I found this information. Thank you 🌸
You are so welcome! Thanks for leaving a lovely comment!! ;)
I am so grateful for your videos. Out helps me to give clients education outside of session so we can focus on the parts in session. Thank you!!!!
Oh, that's great!! Yay! ;)
Excellent!! So glad to have this resource to share with my clients. Masterful way of weaving together the neuroscience with the practical!
Thank you so much!! And thanks for sharing ;)
Thanks, Tori. That was so helpful! I'm looking forward to the next "parts" (pun intended) indeed! Fantastic.
Thanks so much Dean!! :)
You are the best human diagnostic on the planet.
I realized I have multiple personalities and somehow ended up hearing about IFS. Well not somehow I study psychology and my algorithm is focused on it. 😂 but Psychology is just as wide a field as IT. Glad to hear this. Thank you for all you do. I love ya!!!! Liked and subscribed.
Thanks for sharing this very helpful information! 🙏💜
What's interesting to me is how this way of thinking is directly in line with the beliefs of the Bahai faith, which actually builds upon the HOW. Thank you for your work and insight ❤