Biblical basis for IFS Therapy
The first time trying IFS Therapy can seem hypnotic and a little bit intimidating for some of your parts. Thankfully we are a sum of many parts that each hold differing opinions, and in essence we are trying to help them work together without sibling rivalry. I am simply a practitioner to ask questions that help you get to understand all the different ways in which you react in hopes to help you respond instead. I do not go over history or experiences because my role is to turn you inward to hear the voice of God in each and every memory where pain originated and on the multiple levels that one memory can hold. IFS is a way to rewire a negative pathway and bring it into the light of The Lord’s truth. Because our brains are so complex, Jesus helps us meet personally with places we have compartmentalized within our soul and spirit. The Bible speaks of our inward parts being able to represent the hallmark of Our Savior. The Father and Holy Spirit help Jesus in 3 very powerful combined positions, making us a reflection of multiple parts.
It is in childhood where most of our determining ideals are shaped in relation to love and acceptance, safety and security. Should our parents or care takers lack the ability to care for us with these intentions, we symbiotically attach that same mistrust to God. In IFS therapy I will ask you to close your eyes and connect to an emotion that wants to share how it is trying to help you through behavior. Often times people want to connect to the emotional parts of themselves that they don’t like so they can deal with it and move on or get rid of it altogether. However, In light of the Lord’s ways, He usually wants to remove the judgment we have toward ourselves by having a conversation about it. Once connection is made to these individual parts they can help us better understand why we do what we don’t want to do but can’t do what we want to do. With religion and fear of punishment removed from the equation, the burden bearing is seen for what it is, a trapped response that wants to exchange its role for freedom. Freedom form its negative role can look like laughter while resting on a beach, running through the wind, immense joy or any other positive quality it longs to exchange the old ways for.
Parts will be different for every person and may look like versions of self but younger, impressions, drawings, colors or sensations because they are holding the emotion they carry in a very real and personal way. Closing the eyes allows each individual to trust what he is feeling and relay back to me what shows up. If there is something a client sees inside that he or she wishes to keep personal, I just trust Holy Spirit to prompt me with the questions that best help the parts communicate their need. Emotional connection is paramount for establishing a new brain pathway in exchange for the old way of thinking. The true test of supernatural change will be played out in the persons daily life as he discovers that instances or people who once triggered him, no longer do.
The concept is very much like Theophostic which means, “God = theo, phostic=heals”. Since IFS therapy has been conducted as a prominent form of psychotherapy founded by Richard Schwartz, it has allowed many people with different faith backgrounds to spiritually connect with the highest form of Self that I believe to be the Trinity. The natural longing for each of us to heal our internal family aligns with the scriptural truths of walking out our salvation.
I only utilize this method of therapy because it stops people from wasting time with traditional methods of talk therapy and their programs that can sometimes re-traumatize them. It feels weird at first but when a person is ready, God truly opens the heavens over him for inner healing.
Because it is on the spiritual side of psychology I cannot carry insurance and allow the client to determine how often he or she wants to come based on personal finances and brain connectivity. This is a build upon process, to revisit with each part we met the previous session to make sure the internal system is able to sustain peace in that area.