Internal Family Systems Theory (IFS) Definition Cheatsheet:

Here is list of my explanation of IFS terms, in usable and conversational terms.

Before we start - Consistently, professionals tend to use “therapy” and “theory” interchangeably. IFS is short hand for Internal Family Systems - a type of therapy, and the name of a theory. If you get confused by it, it’s always okay to ask (mainly because us therapists don’t really use it in conversations, so we forget to specify the difference). 

For this article, I left terms like theory and therapy out to avoid confusion.

Family Systems (The OG)

Murray Bowen came up with this idea - families are like machines. Machines have gears inside, and each one turns specifically to make the machine work. Each member of the family is like a gear of that machine, and they all have a specific job in the family.

IFS - Internal Family Systems

Richard Schwartz then expanded this concept to apply it individuals, so that in every person there are many parts that have specific roles. Have you seen the Disney-Pixar movie “Inside Out?” Then you have seen this theory, as that movie was based off of Dr. Schwartz’s theory. Cool, huh?

Burden

Burden - the pain that comes from experiencing trauma. It’s a symbol of the pain and their new responsibility to prevent it in the future. Burdens are usually explained as a heavy load or an item that has to be kept safe. Parts carry burdens.

Parts -

A part is a piece of a human that does a specific thing. A gear, a chain, etc. In Inside Out, these are the emotion characters. They all have a “job” which is to help the whole person, and they all want to do their job to the best of their ability. Here, parts are labeled a firefighter, manager, or exile.

Firefighter -

This part puts out emotional fires. An emotional fire could be anything uncomfortable - overwhelm, fear, anger, pain. They think this is dangerous, and they do what any good firefighter would do - put out the fire, no matter what. This is done in an effort to help, but it usually means that some methods will cause damage - think water damage in a structure fire. This can look like addiction, avoidance, angry outbursts, self harm, etc. Unfortunately, firefighters get a bad rap as being irresponsible. But remember, they are trying to help. 

Manager -

Manager - This part manages the behaviors of the human and others. They want to prevent problems, so that the human never has to feel- pain, fear, anger, overwhelm, loneliness, sadness in the first place. If a firefighter gets labeled as irresponsible, the manager gets labeled as responsible, or even uptight. These parts get called codependency, anxiety, worry, and controlling. They want to be accepted and presentable, no matter what, and their tools often praised - self-control, discipline, rigidity, perfectionism, never asking for help, excessive accountability, and high performing careers. They are want control over a chaotic situation, and usually are “the good kid.” Remember, they are trying to help. 

Exile-

The most vulnerable part. They hold the burdens. Because these parts are child-like and young, they can’t see the full story on how things turned out. They get frozen in time, because all they can do is hold the burden. They don’t understand the world yet, and their brains aren’t developed enough to, either. They can’t use adult logic, so they make meaning in the only way they know how - black and white rules that aren’t true.

Protection and Consent

Managers and Firefighters protect exiles. Full stop. Any time we try to get close to exiles to try to heal them, the manager and firefighter jump in to protect, so no one gets hurt again. Like having two older sisters to protect a baby brother. They have a “you’ll have to go through me” mentality, and we have to earn their trust and gain their consent to be able to help the exile. 

Self Energy - My personal favorite

There is one last important piece, but it’s not a part. Self is a loving energy each person can access and tap into within themselves. It’s Or, like a current in the ocean you can choose to swim in or use to guide you. The healing in therapy happens when the therapist and the clients are in self energy, and they are able to help the parts get their needs met through guided imagery. 

Self Energy is known by 8 C’s of Self, they’re a characteristic of the energy. The 8 C’s are Calmness, curiosity, compassion, confidence, courage, clarity, creativity, and connectedness.

Summary:

Hopefully these definitions helped you to understand IFS a little better.

There will be more posts coming with IFS specific content, like what to expect in IFS, more nuanced IFS concepts, and what self energy feels like.  

What do you think?

Are there any definitions you want more info for, or any other terms I should add? 

Drop your questions and thoughts in the comments. 

Thanks for your attention and willingness to learn and invest in yourself today. 

Happy healing, friends, you are worth it!

 If you want any further information, you can research at the ifs institute, the place clinicians get trained to do IFS with clients. This is their site if you’re curious. https://ifs-institute.com/