Workshop Description:

Internal Family Systems is a treatment modality created in the 1980s by Dr. Richard C. Schwartz. Trained as a couples and family therapist, Dr. Schwartz realized that the same dynamics he found in family systems also presented within individuals. His work reveals the brain’s natural ability to subdivide into “parts” that organize to manage trauma. These parts can also bury the core, undamaged self behind layers of “Protectors.”

This evidence-based theory is non-pathologizing, allowing us to change the way people see themselves and others, reducing stigma, shame, and other blocks to well-being.

In this session, you will learn the underlying framework of Internal Family Systems, the art, and power of resonance, along with specific applications to people who experience substance use and mental health disorders (as defined by the DSM-VTR).

Attendees will grow in their practical understanding and application of this powerful approach, which can help reduce shame, increase client engagement, improve outcomes, and—as an added bonus—reduce clinician burnout!

Workshop Objectives:

• Explain Internal Family Systems (IFS) structure and vocabulary and identify goals based on information derived from the client’s “Inner Family.”
• Apply a non-pathologizing treatment model to reduce shame and increase the client's ability to grow and change.
• Learn techniques to teach internal communication and self-compassion and define and measure success in more effective ways