Resources
 

 

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a form of psychotherapy developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, LMFT that is compassionate, spiritual, powerfully healing, and respectful of our inner life. IFS recognizes that our thought life and emotions are organized sub-personalities that function in specific patterns for specific reasons.

Different aspects of our personalities often get into conflict with each other and act in dysfunctional ways. For example, if you make a mistake, you may say to yourself, “I can’t believe I keep screwing up like this.”  Then you may say to yourself, “Give yourself a break, no one is perfect.” While both of these statements may have validity, they are opposite thoughts and therefore result in inner tension. In Romans 7, Paul demonstrates this inner polarization well when he talks about not wanting to do things that he finds himself doing and wanting to do things that he can’t seem to accomplish. IFS is a tool that is used to help ease this inner tension which often leads to clarity of mind allowing clients to make confident choices.

Psychology has taught us that we all develop defense mechanisms to protect us from emotional pain. For example, if you are criticized by someone close to you, a typical knee jerk reaction is to get defensive. The first thing we usually do is evaluate our thoughts, feelings and/or behavior, “Is it good or bad?”  If we decide it is good, we encourage embracing it and acting from it. If we decide it is bad, we try to get rid of it. However, that doesn’t work; we can’t get rid of a part of ourselves. Most of us have been taught to push it (hurt feelings) down by being told to “Get over it.” However, the human condition doesn’t allow us to “get over it,” so often the hurt feelings will continue to pop up and usually at inconvenient moments.

In therapy, we don’t judge the “problem” parts; rather, we seek to understand them and appreciate their efforts to help, without losing sight of the ways they cause problems. Similar to how Jesus approached sinners; loving them as people and naming the choices or behaviors that were harmful to them and to their relationship with God. The compassion of Christ is brought into sessions allowing clients to experience healing.

Julie and Eldon both specialize in the integration of Christian spirituality and psychotherapy. IFS is a model of psychotherapy that can be used as a tool to bridge the gap between what one knows in their head and what ones feels in their heart. Julie and Eldon use IFS as a tool for spiritual direction, helping clients identify what parts of them are blocking them from their relationship with Christ. Helping those parts creates space inside, allowing the Holy Spirit to flow more freely in one’s life. Sometimes this healing happens spontaneously and sometimes it's done through meditation and prayer.

Blog postings from www.ifstherapyblog.com

December 2009
Praying for our parts can be a centering style of prayer that keeps us
from getting overwhelmed with emotion during prayer. This can be most
helpful when we're in vulnerable situations and being overwhelmed with
emotion would not be safe. This is a great alternative to praying from
our parts, giving us an option to pray differently rather than
avoiding prayer.

April 2010
The IFS community first came together with the Evangelical Christian community back in 2003 in Jackson, Mississippi. Since then the interest that conservative Christians have taken with the IFS model continues to grow. Recently an online community was formed to bring theologically conservative Christians together to share ideas about how their faith informs their use of the IFS model. I’ve recently been using the model to identify the parts that block clients’ relationship with Jesus or to identify the parts that keep clients from being able to discern God’s voice. Others in our community have shared how they invite Jesus into the insight work of IFS, specifically the unburdening process. Others have shared how helpful it’s been to invite in Jesus and notice the reaction parts have to God. One of the most difficult reactions most seem to experience is having a part that’s angry with God or Jesus and then to allow that part to be angry at God and be fully heard brings space for the part to let go of it’s hurts and burdens.

September 2010
Most of my clients come to me for therapy in hopes that it will directly impact and improve their relationship with God. Sometimes this can be done indirectly, yet I’m finding a particular question has helped the focus of therapy be more fulfilling for my clients. By unburdening parts, we indirectly open more space for their spiritual selves to surface. I find that by asking my clients, “What parts of you do you sense are blocking you from connecting with God?” we are able to identify the specific barriers (burdened parts) that block them from connecting to their spiritual Source. Often times these trail heads show up as the client begins to project their insecurities onto me, their therapist. For example, a client may say, “I have a part that wonders if you like me,” or “I feel like I’m failing at therapy.” When these parts are explored, we discover that the part fears I view them the way they perceive God views them. Once we get to the exile, we learn that this fear originates with their developmental caregivers such as parents or Sunday school teachers. This reveals how their view of their earthly “father” has greatly impacted their view of their heavenly Father. Once that exile is retrieved and unburdened, clients report that their connection with God is ever stronger and they feel His presence more easily in difficult situations. They are also able to identify their projections more quickly and set them aside and be in authentic relationship with either their therapist or other people in their lives.

Reading Resouces
Books with * at the end can be purchased in our office.

IFS Books
Introduction to the Internal Family Systems Model —Richard Schwartz*
Internal Family Systems Therapy —Richard Schwartz*
Mosaic Mind —Regina Goulding and Richard Schwartz
Parts Work: An Illustrated Guide to Your Inner Life —Tom Holmes (Purchase at www.wingedheart.org)*
 
Christ-Centered IFS Therapy —Russ Harris
Christian Article integrating IFS: http://brichardson.rts.googlepages.com

Parenting
Spiritual Development
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality —Peter Scazzero*
Captivating —Staci Eldrige
True Faced —Thrall, McNicol & Lynch*
Abba's Child —Brennan Manning
Reclaiming the Body in Christian Spirituality —Thomas Ryan
Mere Discipleship —Lee Camp
The Challenge of the Disciplined Life —Richard Foster
Celebration of Discipline —Richard Foster
Imitation of Christ —Thomas a' Kempis
Mere Christianity —C. S. Lewis
The Spirit of the Disciplines —Dallas Willard
Thoughts in Solitude —Thomas Merton
Divine Nobodies —Jim Palmner
The Shack —William Young*
Power of a Praying Wife —Stormie O’Martian
Connecting —Larry Crabb
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People —Stephen Covey

Grief and Loss
Shattered Dreams —Larry Crabb

Health and Wellness
Reclaiming the Body in Christian Spirituality —Thomas Ryan
The Makers Diet —Jordan Rubin
 
Co-dependency Recovery Books 
Love is a Choice (Co-dependency workbook) —Minirth & Myer*
Safe People —Henry Cloud & Chris Townsend
The Language of Letting Go —Melody Beattie
Co-dependent No More —Melody Beattie 
Codependents’ Guide to the Twelve Steps  —Melody Beattie 
Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing your Soul —Melody Beattie
Women Who Love Too Much:When you keep wishing and hoping he’ll change —Robin Norwood
Adult Children of Alcoholics —Janet Geringer Woititz 
Boundaries: Where you end and I Begin —Anne Katherine
Boundaries —Cloud & Townsend
Boundaries in Marriage and Boundaries with Children —Cloud & Townsend*
The Verbally Abusive Relationship:How to recognize it and how to respond —Patricia Evans
Power to Choose- Mike O'Neil*
Mental-Health Links
The following links are listed to provide you with additional online mental-health information and resources.

Addiction and Recover
Alcoholics Anonymous
Alcoholics Anonymous Recovery Resources
Center for On-Line Addiction
Habit Smart
SAMHSA's Substance Abuse/Addiction
SAMHSA's Treatment and Recovery
Web of Addictions

Anxiety Disorders
Answers to Your Questions About Panic Disorder
National Center for PTSD
Obsessive Compulsive Information Center

Associations and Institutes
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Counseling Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychological Association
American Psychological Society
Canadian Mental Health Association
Center for Mental Health Services
National Institute of Mental Health
National Mental Health Association
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, NIH
Born to Explore: The Other Side of ADD/ADHD

Child Abuse and Domestic Violence
Childhelp USA®
SAMHSA's Children and Families
SAMHSA's Protection and Advocacy
Questions and Answers about Memories of Childhood Abuse
The National Domestic Violence Hotline Website
Women, Violence and Trauma

Chronic Fatigue
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Depression
Bipolar Disorder News - Pendulum.org
Depression and How Therapy Can Help
Depression - NASD
Depression Screening
Depression Test, Symptoms of Depression, Signs of Depression

Developmental Disorders
Asperger's Disorder
NeuroWeb
Pervasive Developmental Disorders

Diagnosis
DSM-IV-TR: Diagnoses and Criteria

Dissociation and Traumatic Stress
Sidran Foundation Home Page

Eating Disorders
American Dietetic Association
Something Fishy

Journals and Magazines
ADHD Report
Anxiety, Stress and Coping
Autism
Childhood
Contemporary Hypnosis
Dementia
Depression and Anxiety
Dreaming
Drug and Alcohol Review
Dyslexia
Early Child Development and Care
Eating Disorders
Educational Assessment
Journal of Gambling Studies
Journal of Happiness Studies
Journal of Mental Health and Aging
Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy
Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
Language and Cognitive Processes
Loss, Grief & Care
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities
Metaphor and Symbol
Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
Parenting
Personal Relationships
Personality and Individual Differences
Psychiatric Bulletin
Psychology of Men & Masculinity
Psychology Today
Stress and Health
Studies in Gender and Sexuality
Substance Abuse
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior
Trauma, Violence & Abuse

Medications
Drug Interactions, Alternative, MotherNature
Drug Interactions, DIRECT
Medical Dictionary
Medications, FDA
Medication, Internet Mental Health
Medications, PDR
Medline, Comparison
Multivitamins
SAMHSA's Psychiatry and Psychology

Mental-Health General Links
Internet Mental Health
Let’s Talk Facts, APA
Mental Health InfoSource
Mental Health Net
Mental Health Resources, About.com
Mental Help Net
Mental Illnesses/Disorders
Online Dictionary of Mental Health
PsychCentral.com
University of Michigan Health Topics A to Z
Web Sites You Can Trust, Medical Library Association

Personality Disorders
Mental Help Net - Personality Disorders
Personality Disorders - Focus Adolescent Services

Suicide Awareness and Hotlines
SAMHSA's Suicide
Suicide Awareness Voices of Education
Suicide, Now is Not Forever
Suicide: Read This First

Additional Resources
Disaster/Trauma
HIV/AIDS
InfoQuit Smoking
Interpretation of Dreams
Keirsey (Myers-Briggs) Temperament Sorter
NutraSanus.com Natural Health Supplements Guide
Signs of Menopause, Symptoms of Menopause


Note: The Nashville Christian Counseling Center and its staff are not responsible for the content, claims, or representations of the listed sites.