Internal Family Systems

Question 1

Primary Contributors

Answer 1

Schwartz

Question 2

Goals for Treatment in IFS

Answer 2

1. create a safe place for the exile parts of self to come forward
2. have self become the organizer (leader) of various other parts, promoting managers to have more effective roles and reducing the need for firefighters
3. lead towards self-empowerment

Question 3

The self

Answer 3

every person has a true self that is stable, unchanging and always positive. the self is what allos us to heal, foster insight and endorse compassion. it governs all the other parts. it parallels other concepts of soul, freewill, mindfulness but there is no religious connotation

Question 4

Exiles

Answer 4

they are wounded parts. the parts of self that we bury deep down inside because they are too painful to acknowledge. by keeping them down inside we protect them from being damaged again by the outside world

Question 5

managers

Answer 5

what allow us to keep our exiled parts buried deep down inside. they help us manage our day-to-day living. how we manage our stress and sense of comfort, contentedness, and avoid conflict

Question 6

firefighters

Answer 6

when our internal system recognizes that our managers are failing to protect our exiled parts, firefighters step in to prevent or manage crisis. firefighter parts may express themselves thorugh abusing alcohol or drugs, self-harm, withdrawal and isolation, dissociation or rage and violence (negative coping skills)