Internal Family Systems Model (IFS) is model of psychotherapy that conceptualizes human psychology as a system of “parts” that can have differing agendas, and which can compete for dominance within the psyche of an individual.

When you feel as if PART of you would like to eat cake, but another PART of you would rather you didn’t. And it’s almost like a little boxing match between PART1 and PART2.

This is what IFS is getting at.

Everyone experiences this type of intrapsychic conflict from time to time (or maybe even all the time).

Examples abound:

PART of you wants to flip-off (do you hyphenate this word?) that douche bag driver, and another PART of wishes you wouldn’t.

PART of you wants to tell your boss to go fuck himself, and another PART of you wants to keep the paychecks coming.

PART of you wants to yell TRUMP SUCKS at the Ventura county fair, and another PART of you wants to live.

PART of you wants to stay up all night and drink Chardonnay, and another PART of you wants to spend all day the next day drinking Chardonnay.

We’ve all done that right?

Anyway.

According to IFS, generally speaking, there are four basic categories of parts: 1. Exiles, 2. Managers, 3. Firefighters, and 4. Core Self.

Exiles are the “suppressed” wounded child part of our psychology, comprised of childhood trauma and other awkward, shameful thoughts, feelings and memories.

Managers take on a preemptive, protective role, and attempt to keep the person from harm, in part by preemptively suppressing exiles.

Firefighters distract attention away from exiles if/when they do break through, and manifest in impulsive and/or inappropriate behaviors like drug use, over eating, over working, over spending and Chardonnay for breakfast.

The Core Self is that part of you that represents the seat of consciousness. The witnessing awareness. That “big mind” part of you that is curious, open accepting and loving, and which exudes wisdom, equanimity, and compassion.

The Core Self is the part of you that mindfulness (and just about all other spiritual practices) clarifies and strengthens.

IFS asserts that Exile, Manager, Firefighter, and Core Self parts compete for dominance within the individual, and behave similar to a family system, which as we all know, can be VERY unpleasant and dysfunctional at times.

Self Leadership is when the Core Self part is in charge. IFS (more or less) attempts to strengthen and empower the Core Self.

I’m a therpaist, I read WAY too many therapy books, and I’m kind of burnt out on them at this point.

So please take it with a grain of salt when I give this one a 4/5 stars