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What are the criticisms of IFS therapy?
Criticism of this kind of therapy includes failing to address any neurobiological underpinnings of mental health issues. Additionally, several lawsuits alleged that practitioners of IFS therapy pushed them to recover memories of repressed trauma. IFS therapy focuses on enhancing ability to attend to difficult and distressing internal experiences (i.e. “vulnerable parts”) mindfully and with self-compassion (i.e. from the Self), in order to increase capacity to successfully “be with” or tolerate and process traumatic material. IFS vs Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy CBT is a solution-focused form of therapy that teaches people different techniques to address their mental health and focuses on helping clients to interrupt their negative thoughts. In contrast, IFS does not make any attempt to change how people think. IFS is based on the Self, so it can be used without a therapist. Of the thirteen subjects who were diagnosed with PTSD and completed the 16 sessions of IFS, only 1 still qualified for the diagnosis at the end of the study and at the one-month follow-up. That is, 92% of the participants no longer met the PTSD criteria, which translates into a huge effect size of -4.46. IFS (conceived as Internal Family Systems) is a psychotherapeutic modality developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the early eighties.
What is the criticism of IFS?
The main critique of IFS is that there is no empirical data comparing IFS to other proven methods, and that there have been no follow-up studies to investigate the long-term success rate of IFS. Based on models of traditional family dynamics, IFS focuses on the relationships between parts of your mind and your core Self. IFS may not be for everyone. Your environment, support network, and mental health professional can all influence the success of IFS. In 2015, IFS was designated as an evidence-based practice on the National Registry for Evidence-based Programs and Practices, a database created by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. IFS Basics Combines systems thinking and family systems theory with the notion of multiplicity of the mind– the human psyche is not monolithic but is made up of many various parts and a Self. Everyone has an unknown number of parts. Parts are functional, and all parts are good.
What are the goals of IFS therapy?
The goal of IFS therapy is to reconnect and work with your Self, the undamaged and resourceful core of your being, to heal the parts of yourself that may be causing pain, and reach a state of harmony. The steps taken along the way to achieve this are to: Become aware of the parts. The IFS Level 1 Training is the core, required, and only legitimate way to use IFS in a clinical setting. Anyone who has not completed the IFS Level 1 training, at a minimum, cannot , effectively, and in good faith practice IFS psychotherapy. Polyvagal Theory helps us understand what’s happening on a biological level when our clients are emotionally dysregulated. And IFS offers a compassionate, non-shaming approach to healing the wounded, burdened, and traumatized parts of clients’ systems and increasing internal harmony and connection. 1) the traditional way IFS books describe Self as the “absence of parts”. In other words, by asking parts to step aside, people automatically experience the state that we call Self. In this state, people experience calm, clarity of thought, courage and compassion.
Is IFS therapy good or bad?
It has been shown to be effective for the improvement of general emotional and mental well-being and has been rated as promising to improve symptoms of phobia, panic, generalized anxiety, depression, and certain physical ailments. Issues treated with IFS therapy include: Trauma. Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse. Although Internal Family SystemsSM (IFS) therapy is most commonly associated with adult clients, child counseling is another effective application of this form of therapy. It generally takes 2 to 3 sessions to get an understanding of your parts and their roles but relief from symptoms can start quickly, often in just one session. IFS can be integrated with other forms of psychotherapy and is often used in conjunction with EMDR therapy. Using an IFS lens makes exposure therapy more effective. As you extend curiosity and compassion towards your strong emotions, you dislodge the old memories and give them a chance to update to new. It is a kind and compassionate approach.