Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapists in 60084
Nancy D Bourke
Licensed Professional Counselor, LPC, NCC
Verified Verified
1 Endorsed
Wauconda, IL 60084
Are you having difficulty setting and attaining goals? Feelings of anxiety, worry, sadness or anger?Finding and keeping meaningful relationships? Trying to cope and regain balance after a painful loss or trauma? Generally feeling like your life is being hijacked away from what it could be? If you can say yes to any of these, you may also be feeling alone with your challenges. Understand, you are not, many share these feelings and what these challenges all have in common; they are isolating and negatively life altering. For those who have struggled, a therapist can be an essential guide towards a happier, healthier life journey.
Are you having difficulty setting and attaining goals? Feelings of anxiety, worry, sadness or anger?Finding and keeping meaningful relationships? Trying to cope and regain balance after a painful loss or trauma? Generally feeling like your life is being hijacked away from what it could be? If you can say yes to any of these, you may also be feeling alone with your challenges. Understand, you are not, many share these feelings and what these challenges all have in common; they are isolating and negatively life altering. For those who have struggled, a therapist can be an essential guide towards a happier, healthier life journey.
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Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapists
What is Internal Family Systems therapy?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a type of talk therapy that focuses on sub-personalities, or “families,” within a person, which may be made up of wounded parts and unpleasant emotions like anger and shame. These sub-personalities can come into conflict with each other and with an individual’s core Self, leaving the person feeling detached from positive traits such as the “8 C’s” of confidence, calmness, creativity, clarity, curiosity, courage, compassion, and connectedness. By healing a patient’s wounded parts, a therapist aims to restore balance and bring on positive change.
How does Internal Family Systems therapy work?
An IFS therapist will work with a patient to identify their particular sub-personalities, recognize the emotions powering them, and release them. By doing so, the patient should become more able to address any underlying problems their sub-personalities may have been trying to protect them from. Ultimately, a patient discovers ways to manage internal and external conflicts on their own, through techniques such as relaxation exercises, journaling, and making charts depicting the relationships between their core Self and their distinct parts.
Does Internal Family Systems therapy work?
IFS therapy has been shown to help people address conditions such as depression, anxiety, panic, fears and phobias, trauma, and substance use disorders. Some research has also found that it can help individuals deal with symptoms of physical health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, such as pain, everyday functioning, depressive feelings, and low self-compassion. There are some conditions for which IFS treatment, specifically discussions of one’s “parts,” may be less appropriate, such as schizophrenia or other states that involve psychosis or paranoia.
How long does Internal Family Systems therapy take?
As with most forms of talk therapy, there is no set duration or end point for IFS therapy. After becoming comfortable with a therapist and the core concepts of IFS, some patients quickly make progress. While experiences vary, most will find that it is a relatively longer-term therapy, involving months and sometimes years of sessions.