Four Corners Blog
Serving Maryland suburbs including Bethesda, Chevy Chase,
Kensington, Rockville, Silver Spring, and Takoma Park.
All Parts are Welcome: The Life Changing Power of Internal Family Systems
At its core IFS is a compassionate acceptance and appreciation (Self) of all the things (parts) that are inside of us - sensations, thoughts, feelings, beliefs, memories and perspectives.
“What is IFS, again? I’m confused.”
Parts are like a family that interacts with one another to create the internal system that makes each of us a unique individual. Like a well-adjusted and calm adult, Self can develop healthy relationships with each of these parts, and heal the traumas and burdens that keep us from being whole and integrated.
What a session with an Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist can look like
Your therapist asks you to slow down and focus your attention on the tension. Then they ask you if any images come to mind when you put your attention on this part of you. Nothing comes at first. Your therapist reminds you to slow down and see where your mind takes you. An image of yourself as a third grader starts to appear in your imagination. You remember one time when your teacher criticized you in front of the class for not doing your homework. You remember feeling worried in that moment, like you did something wrong and you need to do something to fix it.
Burnout - How to recognize it and how IFS can help
This pandemic has been exhausting and challenging, to say the least. But there are ways to find some ease amid shifting public health measures, social isolation, and the daily outpouring of bad news. Jeremy Mohler explains ways in which he learned to relate to oneself during these difficult times.
Case Study: How to work with Emotional Blocks using Internal Family Systems
The first step in doing IFS parts work is to move from being in the head and listening to thoughts to being in the body and noticing sensations. We start by simply following the breath. Right now as you read this, you can try it. Simply notice your in-breath and the out-breath, as you shift your attention from the outside space to the inside space (your body sensations) for just one minute. I’ll wait for you :)
Case Study: how The Polyvagal Theory and IFS work in individual therapy
Polyvagal Theory of the autonomic nervous system which says that our body is always scanning for safety and threat below conscious awareness. This sense is called “neuroception.” This theory also says that we “co-regulate” with our environment, including people around us, and that our mood can be impacted by others’ moods, for better or for worse.