IFS therapy for trauma recovery
Internal Family Systems therapy is an evidence-based therapy model used in the treatment of trauma. Weaving Rhythms is proud to offer IFS as a path of recovery for those seeking relief of trauma symptoms.
As you un-burden your parts, imagine…
Coming home after a stressful day to a frustrated partner. With awareness of the thoughts and emotions coming up for you, you know to ask for time to regulate so you can help your partner feel heard. When your partner feels heard, they can now show up for you so you also feel heard. Rather than taking over, your protective and wounded parts now trust you to lead - resulting in restoration of, and renewed connection in your relationship.
Are you ready for a change in your relationship to yourself and others?
Let’s connect! I offer a free, 20 minute consultation so you can learn more about how our work together, using IFS, can help you transform your relationships.
What is IFS?
Internal Family Systems, or IFS, connects the mind and the body by helping you explore the interlinked system of subconscious “parts” driving feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
Imagine….
Your day at work is filled with back to back circumstances causing stress and anxiety. You just want to get home and be done with the day. However, rather than finding peace when getting home, you arrive to a partner frustrated with something you forgot to do. Tensions between the two of you grow, no one feels heard, and what was supposed to be a restful night is now filled with tension.
It can be common to feel shame, guilt, and confusion. You may find yourself criticizing the way you showed up in conflict. “Why did I have to get so angry?” “Why can’t I do anything right?” “Why can’t I speak up for myself?” “Why do I shutdown?” “Why can’t they understand me?”
IFS addresses the root of those feelings and thoughts. A part of you wants to be understood. A part of you shuts down to keep you safe. A part of you feels angry because a need is not met. A part of you acts critical to prevent hurt. Although it may not feel like it, your parts are all working to protect you. IFS explores the nature and needs of these parts, so they can become un-burdened - allowing you to have agency in how you show up.
Remember our conflict above with our partner? Let’s say when experiencing conflict, you shutdown. You experience this shutdown at body tension, fear, anxiety, and overwhelm.
What is happening in that moment?
The story of how that shutdown part arrived will be unique to you. However, the function of your nervous system is universal. When you experience something as a trauma (acute or developmental, physical or emotional) your brain and nervous system adapt to keep you from experiencing the same thing.
In other words, to keep you safe.
In this case, the shutdown response is driven by a collapse, or freeze, response in your nervous system. Maybe conflict in your family of origin was scary, or avoided altogether - giving the message that it is not ok to express your needs and feelings. To a child’s developing mind, this experience can feel unsafe. To compensate, the nervous system learns to freeze up so the child can stay silent, invisible, and protected.
IFS works to re-pattern trauma responses by helping you create the safety that you needed in the past. The shutdown part is protecting, or managing, a wounded “exile” part. Using IFS techniques, we can help your exiles experience safety, allowing the protective parts to un-burden themselves and step back. If you are ready to re-pattern your nervous system responses, reach out to schedule a free consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!
How can ifs help trauma?
Ready to learn more about how you can reclaim your narrative and connect to your Self?
Reach out below to schedule a free, 20 minute consultation. I look forward to connecting with you!
How will we use IFS in our work together?
I integrate IFS with a unique blend of narrative therapy and nervous system work using a system lens.
Nervous system work will help you learn the skills to regulate your system using mindfulness, breathing, and movement to communicate safety to your body. By increasing your regulation abilities, you will be able to go deeper into IFS work and un-burden your parts with compassion and understanding.
Each part of you has a “trailhead” that starts as an emotion, thought, sensation, or impulse. Each trailhead leads us down a narrative that has been constructed from the influences of the systems we are born into.
We will identify these trailheads, explore their narratives and what beliefs feed those narratives from outside systems. This deconstruction and reclamation process of your narrative connects you to the wisdom you already have from the core part of the Self.
The connection to the Self can serve as a resource to your agency and empowerment in your life story.