How Does Online IFS Work?: 4 Facts You Need to Know
So many people assume that Internal Family Systems (aka IFS) therapy is only effective if you attend sessions in-person — but if that were true, I wouldn’t have maintained a 100% virtual therapy practice providing online IFS therapy and Brainspotting since 2020, nor would I have helped 300+ clients since then.
Speaking of which: Hi! I’m Halle, an online IFS therapist in Boulder, Colorado.
Here’s what you actually need to know about online IFS therapy, especially if you’re thinking about trying it for yourself
What is IFS Therapy?
IFS was developed by Richard Schwartz, PhD, and is based on the idea that all people are made of a variety of parts. Some parts are protective, others are wounded, but both are led by a core Self. This is also why IFS is commonly referred to as “parts work.”
In this model of therapy, we assume that positive change happens when we can increase connection to the Self, which in turn, creates more connection to the protective and wounded parts.
This increased connection then leads to more compassion, creativity, and a sense of clarity about how to move forward with your own healing process.
And in case you haven’t put it together yet, yes this is what the movies Inside Out and Inside Out 2 are based on. If you wanna go down that rabbit hole, I have a whole other blog post dedicated to why Anxiety from Inside Out 2 is so relatable, even for us adults!
Who does IFS work for?
In my practice, I’ve used IFS with a variety of clients from very different backgrounds. That said, I’ve seen IFS work for people who are curious about working deeply to better understand themselves.
I’ve also noticed IFS works well for people who have not had success with other types of therapy, like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
This is also a great time for me to remind you that successful outcomes in therapy rely most heavily on the relationship between you and your therapist. To be more specific, if you have positive feelings about your therapist, therapy is more likely to be successful for you.
Can you do IFS on yourself?
You can apply the principles of IFS on your own, but there may be some limitations. More on that in a moment though.
If you’re curious about doing some solo parts work, you might enjoy reading No Bad Parts by Richard Schwartz, PhD. Pro tip: your local library might have this available in both e-book and audiobook forms!
One of the biggest drawbacks of doing IFS on yourself is that you might be uncertain about how to respond if you get overwhelmed. Some parts of yourself are bound to bring up bigger emotional responses.
So if you don’t have the skillset just yet, it might be tough to regulate yourself if this happens. This is why I recommend that you work with a therapist who’s well versed in IFS.
How long does it take IFS to work?
Be prepared to get a little frustrated with this very standard therapist answer, but it depends.
I’ve seen people relieve symptoms they’ve struggled with for years in a handful of sessions (read: 3 to 4 sessions).. I’ve also seen people who need 6-9 months to really work with parts of themself that are a bit…slippery, so to speak.
And then there are people who make strides in a single therapy intensive, where we combine IFS with Brainspotting for something called Partspotting, but that’s a blog post for another day.
So what now?
If you’re located in Colorado and Oregon, you can engage in online IFS therapy with me! There are two options for how we can work together: 1) weekly therapy, 2) a therapy intensive.
For those of you who are ready for the deepest of deep-dives into your own healing, I love working with people in therapy intensives. These intensives are a whole lotta therapy in a tiny little package, where I combine IFS therapy with Brainspotting.
When you’re ready to get started, you can click the button below to send in your contact form. I’ll send you a link to book your consult once I receive your form!
