IFS Clinical Consultations
The best way to become a proficient IFS professional
I offer clinical consultation sessions worldwide in English and Italian for professionals who would like to improve their work with clients and their understanding of the IFS model. As an IFS Approved Clinical Consultant, professionals who would like to apply for IFS Certification can contact me to request this service.
If you have learnt the IFS model clinical consultation offers an opportunity to understand the IFS model in depth, clarify some theoretical aspects and, more importantly, adapt it to the clients.
Chris Burris, one of the most senior IFS Lead Trainers, states that it takes two years of IFS practice after having completed a Level 1 IFS Training before mastering the model, and I confirm that. IFS Clinical Consultations are the place to bring the doubts that your sceptical parts hold about the model.
The consultation hours are an opportunity for professional development and, in line with what Emma Redfern (2022) states, to fill any knowledge gaps in the IFS model, become more confident in the IFS model, and notice any therapist parts that are might be activated during the sessions. Clinical consultations can be especially important when working with clients who represent minority groups like LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, Neurodivergent, etc.
IFS Clinical consultations can include one or more of the following
Theoretical discussions about the IFS therapeutic model and concepts.
Exploration of how the IFS method is applied when working with clients.
Exploration of therapist/practitioners’ own reactions when working with clients.
Watching recordings of sessions to receive feedback and/or ask questions.
Examples of theoretical discussions about the IFS therapeutic model and concepts
IFS, despite using common language, is not a model that can be learnt immediately. This is due to its highly experiential nature, which means that it can only be learnt by practicing it. Chris Burris, IFS lead trainer and book author, states that it takes three years of practice after a Level 1 training to master the IFS model. In addition to this, the concepts of “Parts” and “Self” can easily be confused with some other pre-existing ideas that were learnt from other training. This was certainly true for me when I initially thought that the “parts” in Gestalt therapy were the same as the “Parts” of IFS.
In addition to the basic IFS concepts, we also have more advanced terms like “Self-like Parts”, “Implicit Direct Access”, and more are being added to the list like “Legacy Burdens” and “Unattached Burdens”. IFS Clinical consultations allow for clarification and discussion of these concepts so that they can be understood and used in sessions appropriately.
Examples of exploration of how the IFS method is applied when working with clients.
Another way to use the time during clinical consultations is to discuss client’s presentation. IFS, being a practical and experiential model, helps identify the Parts that the client brings to the consulting room. Some clients, despite being eager to do IFS, do not achieve the results they hoped for. Other clients might not have contacted their therapist/practitioner specifically for IFS, and they might need some guidance to get started.
Dick Schwartz says that, when IFS sessions do not go as well as they could, there are either Parts in the client or in the consultant (or both) that are at play during sessions. There might, indeed, be Parts of the client that are active during sessions and that might not allow the Self of the client to emerge. During clinical consultations, we can identify the Parts of the client’s system that are present in session and find ways to address them.
Examples of exploration of therapist/practitioners’ own reactions when working with clients.
As mentioned earlier, sometimes IFS sessions might not go as planned because the IFS practitioner has Parts activated during the session that are on the driving seat and do not allow sufficient Self energy to lead the session. These Parts are common especially at the beginning when the professional is not fully comfortable with the model, or some Parts of the professionals do not fully believe the model, etc.
Other times, there can be Parts of the professional that react to client’s material, and these Parts, too, can be helped during clinical consultation.
Watching recordings of sessions to receive feedback and/or ask questions.
Another great way to understand how to improve the facilitation of IFS sessions is to record them (with client’s permission) and watch the recordings during clinical consultation. This way the practitioner can show aspects of their session and receive feedback on their practice, ask questions and discuss choice points.
Feel free to contact me for any further enquiry.