"Internal Family Systems, or IFS therapy, is a type of psychotherapy that is centered around the idea that each individual is made up of several parts or personalities. These parts are referred to as "sub-personalities" and they are composed of both negative and positive emotions. The concept of the theory of IFS is that we all have several parts that make up our whole being, and they fulfill both healthy and unhealthy roles. The events in our life beginning from our childhood (traumas or other significant life events) can change those roles from healthy to extreme. The belief is that there are three sub-personalities and then the strong, independent core self. The personalities are often in conflict with one another, as well as with one"s core self. The goal of IFS therapy is to balance all of these parts, find a more harmonious and peaceful dynamic between all of the personalities and to elevate the self into a harmonious leadership.IFS is an evidence-based type of talk therapy that encourages you to take a deeper look into your internal systems in an effort to identify and better understand the many different personalities that make up your emotional and mental being. IFS therapy was developed by a family therapist named Richard Schwartz in the 1980"s, who originally started it as a different approach to individual therapy that pulled from the concepts used in couple"s therapy. He viewed the human mind as being composed of its own inner family, with many parts and personalities, in addition to the self each serving a different role, both negative and positive. These sub-personalities can work in harmony or they can be in conflict, and it is common for there to be conflict within the sub-personalities and the self. Significant life events can push these parts into further imbalance with each other and the core self, but fortunately, they are not static and can be changed with time and work. The purpose of IFS treatment is to achieve balance within these internal systems and the core self."
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