Inner Wellness

Internal Family Systems

I personally take a non-literal view of IFS. I think it does a very clever thing by taking advantage of our human ability to anthropomorphize parts of our universe, which allows us to relate to those things using our incredibly advanced brain circuitry that is devoted to social connection and bonding. In this case, we anthropomorphize parts of our mind: ingrained thought-habits, repetitive learned behaviors, lessons we have learned or think we have learned. Then, we can extend love to these things in the same way that we extend love to another person.

I think that representing thse thought-patterns as people worthy of love allows us to engage with them in a way that is profound and effective for healing. We can't experience our own thought patterns in their true form, so anyway we engage with them requires us to project a form onto them. This version feels more effective and respectful to me than some of the other common forms, such as interpreting our thought patterns as Computer programs running on our brain, which is thin represented as a machine.

There is a helpful play-acting here. Have you ever struggled to understand or articulate something about yourself, then engaged in play therapy where you represent yourself as a character, toy, or puppet? It can be difficult to wrap your head around something like

Summary of Jay Earley’s Book Self-Therapy

Contains a step-by-step guide to self-contained IFS.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vR9CIuxT_RLaDGIn_iE_75y9bgit58mGAGPtDixpdEcrsSPbE7IemgfJ8f9KT275Q/pub

Integral Guide

https://integralguide.com/About

“ The Integral Guide is a choose-your-own-adventure field guide that I began writing to aid my personal trauma recovery and self-development and to feel empowered and better-equipped to lead an enriched life.”

Loving Awakening

https://lovingawakening.net/ A Practical Guide to Embodied Spirituality and Healing with Metta, IFS, the Imaginal and Community

Two free books. Author says in the FAQ that she offers services if you contact her; I assume these are paid services. I have not read the books and can't vouch for them.

Adult Children of Alcoholics

Not just for actual kids of alcoholics! The great majority of ACOA resources are equally helpful for people from many other types of family dysfunction.

Winning Therapy

I also call this “FDS Therapy”, for Female Dating Strategy.