1814 || your true self

The internal family systems model, the one we've been talking about for the last few days, was created by Dr. Richard Schwartz.

And he created this theory, this model, over 20 years ago.

So it has evolved a lot in that time.

And according to his website, theifsinstitute.com, The IFS model represents two pre-existing paradigms that we already know about, systems thinking and the multiplicity of the mind.

As he puts it, his clients were repeating descriptions of what they called their parts, or the conflicted subpersonalities that resided within themselves.

Now, he reminds us this isn't a new discovery.

There have been countless other theorists that have described a similar inner phenomenon.

Think about Freud and his id, ego, and superego.

But in IFS, Dr. Richard Schwartz focuses on how these inner entities function in relation to each other.

As he puts it, quote, Since I was steeped in systems thinking, it was second nature to begin tracking sequences of internal interactions in the same way I tracked interactions among family members.

As I did, I learned that parts take on common roles and common inner relationships.

I also learned that these inner roles and relationships are not static and could be changed if one intervened carefully and respectfully.

I began conceiving of the mind as an inner family and experimenting with techniques that I used as a family therapist to get them to cooperate.

So the IFS model, which evolved as a result of this exploration, views a person as containing an ecology of relatively discrete minds, each of which has valuable qualities, and each of which is designed to and wants to play a valuable role within your system.

These parts are forced out of their valuable roles sometimes by life experiences that can reorganize the system in healthy ways.

A good analogy is an alcoholic family in which children are forced into protective and stereotypical roles by the extreme dynamics of the family itself.

And you'll find similar sibling roles across alcoholic families.

There's usually a scapegoat, a mascot, a lost child.

But one doesn't conclude that these roles represent the essence of those children.

Instead, each child is unique.

And once released from their role by intervention, they can find interests and talents separate from the demands of the chaotic family.

So the same process seems to hold true for internal family systems.

Parts are forced into extreme roles by external circumstances, and once it seems safe, they gladly transform into valuable family members.

That's how he discovered the common roles that parts play across most people.

After working with a large number of clients, some patterns began to appear.

The internal family systems model, the one we've been talking about for the last few days, was created by Dr. Richard Schwartz.

And he created this theory, this model, over 20 years ago.

So it has evolved a lot in that time.

And according to his website, theifsinstitute.com, The IFS model represents two pre-existing paradigms that we already know about, systems thinking and the multiplicity of the mind.

As he puts it, his clients were repeating descriptions of what they called their parts, or the conflicted subpersonalities that resided within themselves.

Now, he reminds us this isn't a new discovery.

There have been countless other theorists that have described a similar inner phenomenon.

Think about Freud and his id, ego, and superego.

But in IFS, Dr. Richard Schwartz focuses on how these inner entities function in relation to each other.

As he puts it, quote, Since I was steeped in systems thinking, it was second nature to begin tracking sequences of internal interactions in the same way I tracked interactions among family members.

As I did, I learned that parts take on common roles and common inner relationships.

I also learned that these inner roles and relationships are not static and could be changed if one intervened carefully and respectfully.

I began conceiving of the mind as an inner family and experimenting with techniques that I used as a family therapist to get them to cooperate.

So the IFS model, which evolved as a result of this exploration, views a person as containing an ecology of relatively discrete minds, each of which has valuable qualities, and each of which is designed to and wants to play a valuable role within your system.

These parts are forced out of their valuable roles sometimes by life experiences that can reorganize the system in healthy ways.

A good analogy is an alcoholic family in which children are forced into protective and stereotypical roles by the extreme dynamics of the family itself.

And you'll find similar sibling roles across alcoholic families.

There's usually a scapegoat, a mascot, a lost child.

But one doesn't conclude that these roles represent the essence of those children.

Instead, each child is unique.

And once released from their role by intervention, they can find interests and talents separate from the demands of the chaotic family.

So the same process seems to hold true for internal family systems.

Parts are forced into extreme roles by external circumstances, and once it seems safe, they gladly transform into valuable family members.

That's how he discovered the common roles that parts play across most people.

After working with a large number of clients, some patterns began to appear.