What to expect in your first IFS session (Internal Family Systems Therapy)

Every Internal Family Systems Therapist or Practitioner is going to be a little bit different in their approach. In general there are two ways to use Internal Family Systems. The first is to simply talk about different parts of your system, to help identify and understand these parts while bringing compassion and curiosity to them. The other is to "drop-in". Typically this is done with eyes closed but not always. Your therapist or practitioner will help guide you into connection with parts of your system. You may engage in dialogue or you may inhabit a given part and speak from that place. Regardless of the method used, you will be encouraged to develop a strong sense of Self. This is a place of calm, curiosity and compassion. This is the place you ideally want to be operating from. This is Self-Leadership.

timecodes
0:00 Introduction to IFS Therapy
0:31 The General Approach in IFS Therapy
2:42 The First IFS Session: What to Expect
6:32 Conor McMillan's Unique Approach to IFS Therapy
10:23 The Goal of IFS Therapy and Self-Love

Want to develop a strong sense of self today? Self therapy is just a click away.

[tikkye]

This gentleman here is helping people around the globe to heal and he is doing a great job. Thanks, Conor, keep doing what you're doing!

[Edemayy]

Really loved what you said about loving all the parts of us and letting them grow with us. I've been through a few therapies which pushed me to reject my past memories, my defence mechanisms and thoughts and see them as bad. Which made me become more anxious and obsessive over my mental health. Im so happy to hear there's a better approach

[vincentconlon]

That was really heartfelt. ❤❤ Thanks for the video. I'm getting up the courage to do this. Even listening to this was emotional

[diradeb]

I always seem to learn as much from the comments as from the main video

[sorchaout]

So I had my first session of IFS yesterday and it was definitely one of the weirdest things I've ever done. I found that I was having quite strong reactions physically. I went light headed and my vision blurred and shook and i did feel cramping in parts of my body. It was very strange. However, when my therapist asked me to "listen" to those parts and ask them had they anything to say, I wasn't really sure what i was expecting to happen (a memory, or a voice, I don't even know), but nothing did. Was I doing something wrong?

[cakepudding]

I’m not noticing anything when I do the IFS therapy. Occasionally my stomach cramps (chronic bloating linked to childhood trauma) but nothing “shows up” and a part of me is scared to see what might be released or show up so I suppress or not allow myself to fully do it. It’s only my 2nd session if doing this though. I really hope I can let go fully to my therapist or at least at home by myself.

Please can you do a guided therapy on ifs so I can practice this at home? Thank you x

[Fefe]

I have never done therapy & would like too but NO IDEA who ? Where? What? I love IFS so far, I loved CPTSD book Pete Walker, do I look for IFS therapist ? Do u do classes Or take clients ?

[DjangobeatTV]

Do you ever try "Just notice your breath, don't try to change it, just notice"?

[letitsnow]

What do u mean by dropping in? Not clear to me

[handsfullofhopecounselling]

HI two questions
1 where did you learn IFS and 2 Have you worked with narcissistic Victim Syndrome?