Welcome to another episode of IFS Meditations and Insights,
A podcast exploring personal growth through the lens of internal family systems,
Or IFS.
I'm Tim Fortescue,
Your guide on this journey,
An IFS trained practitioner dedicated to nurturing spiritual wholeness and healing.
In this compassionate space,
We delve into self-discovery,
Uncovering inner wisdom.
When we embrace all parts of ourselves with love,
We can better receive divine love and extend it to others.
My hope is that what I discuss here will illuminate your path,
Bringing you inner peace and a deeper connection to the sacred.
Together we'll learn how IFS gently transforms our relationship with ourselves and the world.
So settle in,
Open up your heart and mind,
And let's dive into another episode.
It's no new news to long-time listeners that Internal Family Systems,
Or IFS,
Was created by Dr.
Richard Swartz,
And it's a different way to understand and heal our minds.
It says that we have different parts of ourselves,
Like inner voices or sides of our personality,
That all have their own feelings and reasons for being.
But I've been curious over the last year or so how this idea works when we're in a group.
How can IFS help us grow to change together?
So let's explore this for a bit today.
I know in my own coaching groups that I've facilitated,
I've seen that a different kind of healing takes place in a group setting,
And I just want to explore that a little more.
First,
Let's talk about the basics of Internal Family Systems,
Just for a bit,
For those that may be new,
And how these ideas help us get and understand a little more how groups work.
This model tells us that inside each person is a core self.
The self is kind,
Curious,
Calm,
Beloved,
And emanates love to the parts inside,
To our world.
And around this self are different parts,
Like protectors or her inner children,
Each with its job and view.
And when we use this idea in a group,
We see that everyone has their own inner family system,
Their own parts.
The way the group works is really these inner parts talking to each other,
And participants learning to speak for their parts,
Realizing that parts may be activated by others' parts in the system within the group,
But that we're all in this together.
And when we can respond this way,
And it can be challenging sometimes and takes courage,
But we can use this and these IFS principles to help a group grow and heal in community.
One important thing is to make a group where everyone is curious and doesn't judge,
Or at least there's a realization that there are parts that are judging,
And you can speak for them.
When we respect everyone's different inner worlds,
We make it safe to share and be open.
This builds understanding and helps people connect better.
And also,
We can make group activities that help certain parts in the group.
For example,
We can use guided pictures in our minds or acting exercises to help talk to and understand different parts,
Which brings peace and balance within the group.
And it's amazing to think about how much healing and change can happen when we see group work through an IFS lens and principles.
So before I finish,
Let me just give a few tips that we may want to consider when we work within a group using IFS principles.
First I'd say group work requires us to be ready to accept complexity.
It's good to keep in mind that each person adds their own mix of inner experiences and views by encouraging empathy,
Curiosity,
And kindness.
We can make spaces where groups can truly heal and grow.
The group that I led just recently,
There were parts that were activated and didn't even make sense for the whole group to stay together for the six weeks that we were planning to meet.
There were parts triggered and there were challenges,
But I so appreciate the courage of the members of that group for showing up,
Even for the person who eventually decided that it may not be the best fit,
To come for one more session to speak for those parts that were having conflicts of personality with the parts of others who were in the group.
But there was healing even within that,
And it's challenging.
As a facilitator,
I have parts that say,
You're not good at this,
You're not facilitating well,
But as we had courage and compassion and wanted clarity to come together as a group,
Healing,
The healing that needed at that moment happened,
And healing continues.
There's a place for one-on-one work where we can go deep with a practitioner in our own system,
But there's a place for that group work,
And it's a different kind of healing that can have challenges.
But I think we need to keep having the courage to go there and heal in community,
Whether it be a structured group or in relationships,
But to speak for our parts and to share the beauty and healing that can come to others.
So I hope you're able to experience IFS principles in a group context sometime.
And so there's power in this model.
There's power in one-on-one work.
There's power in group work and healing in community.
So let's keep pondering that and staying curious and see where we may fit in to the concept of IFS and group work.
