Table of Contents

I. An Overview of Internal Family Systems Therapy
1. The Origins of Internal Family Systems Therapy
2. Individuals as Systems
3. The Self
4. Burdens
5. IFS and the Body
6. The Role of the Therapist in IFS
II. How to Practice IFS Therapy with Individuals
7. Setting the Table for Treatment
8. In-Sight and Direct Access
9. Finding, Focusing, and Fleshing Out Protectors
10. Feeling toward, Befriending, and Exploring Protector Fears
11. Changing Protector Polarizations
12. Unburdening Exiles
13. Doing Inner Work Safely
III. IFS Therapy with Families, Couples, and Larger Systems
14. The IFS Model's View of Families
15. Releasing Constraints in IFS Family Therapy
16. Unburdening in IFS Family Therapy
17. Treating Couples with IFS Therapy
18. Applying the IFS Model to Social and Cultural Systems
IV. Research and Conclusion
19. Research on IFS
20. The Laws of Inner Physics
Glossary of Terms

About the Author

Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, the developer of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, is on the adjunct faculty of the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He has devoted his career to evolving and disseminating IFS, which now is being taught all over the world. Dr. Schwartz founded the Center for Self Leadership in Oak Park, Illinois, which coordinates IFS trainings in the United States and internationally. He is a featured speaker at many national conferences and has published more than 50 articles and books about IFS and other psychotherapy topics. His website is https://selfleadership.org.

Martha Sweezy, PhD, is Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, part-time; Program Consultant and Supervisor at Cambridge Health Alliance; and former Assistant Director and Director of Training for the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program at Cambridge Health Alliance. She has a therapy and consultation practice in Northampton, Massachusetts, and has a particular interest in how shame and guilt affect human behavior. Dr. Sweezy has published several articles and books on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.

Reviews

"This book illustrates how the parts who populate our clients' inner worlds are trying to manage an underlying threat that others may not see. The only credible offer of help is one that can resolve this threat. IFS guides us to offer deep understanding and meaningful assistance to clients who long to transform but are stuck in extreme, destructive roles."--Leslie S. Greenberg, PhD, Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Psychology, York University, Canada

"We are indeed the sum of our parts, and, for over 25 years, Schwartz has been acquainting us with the exiles, managers, and firefighters battling within our psyches. In the second edition of this seminal book, Schwartz and Sweezy provide a more extensive overview of IFS therapy. New chapters address individual and systemic work with each component of the internal family system, as well as research attesting to the model’s effectiveness. This is an invaluable resource for both beginning and experienced practitioners who seek self-integration for their clients--and themselves."--Michael C. LaSala, PhD, LCSW, School of Social Work, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

"Since this book was originally published, the thoroughly innovative principles and practices of IFS therapy have been studied, applied, and advanced by thousands of psychotherapists. The second edition is extensively revised and updated--effective clinical strategies are illustrated with engaging therapist–client dialogues; cutting-edge research reveals the promise of IFS for conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder; and IFS concepts are applied at and between multiple levels, from the individual to the whole society. Psychotherapists at any stage of their careers will find stimulating concepts and carefully designed tools that will enrich their thinking and improve their practices."--Richard Chasin, MD, former president, American Family Therapy Academy

“The outstanding second edition of this classic book presents the preeminent research-supported, integrative family systems approach to working with individuals as well as their couple and family relationships in their larger cultural contexts. The book is beautifully written, the theory is sophisticated and nuanced, and the clinical vignettes demonstrate the details of putting IFS into practice. IFS therapy dovetails wonderfully with the emerging emphasis on body-based psychotherapies, mindfulness practices, and the role of spirituality in mental health and well-being. This book should be read by all therapists--not just those who align with family systems--and should be a core text for graduate programs in all forms of psychotherapy. I will use it in my graduate courses!”--Peter Fraenkel, PhD, Department of Psychology, The City College of the City University of New York

“In this updated second edition, Schwartz candidly shares how his work with clients has helped him expand his original thoughts regarding IFS and embrace a more client-led process. Schwartz and Sweezy define the concepts of IFS well, and the book is easy to read. I appreciate the addition of updated IFS research and the way the authors promote healing beyond the individual and family by extending IFS concepts to communities. Master’s- and doctoral-level students may further their ability to address self-of-the-therapist issues by reflecting on how their ‘parts’ interact with the ‘parts’ of clients, thus promoting better therapy outcomes.”--Jenene Case Pease, PhD, LMFT, Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech; Clinical Director, The Family Therapy Center of Virginia Tech

"This second edition condenses 25 years of clinical innovation since the pioneering first edition was published. All who wish to study and treat family relationships need to read this book. Schwartz and Sweezy have produced a clear, realistic view of the extraordinary complexities of families across time and contexts."--Charles R. Figley, PhD, Kurzweg Distinguished Chair and Professor of Disaster Mental Health and Director, Traumatology Institute, Tulane University-