Understanding IFS Therapy: What to Look for in a Qualified Practitioner

Internal Family Systems Therapy: Choosing the Right IFS Therapist for Your Healing Journey

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Internal Family Systems therapy, or IFS therapy, has gained significant attention in recent years. It is a powerful approach for healing trauma and addressing complex emotional issues. As IFS becomes more popular, I see more therapists advertising that they offer this modality. While this growing interest in IFS is wonderful, it creates a challenge for those seeking help: how do you know if your therapist is truly qualified to practice IFS therapy?

This is an important conversation to have. Richard Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems, has spoken about this extensively. He emphasizes that rigorous training is essential to practice IFS effectively and safely. When IFS is not done skillfully, there is real potential for harm within someone's internal system. Clients can develop unhelpful patterns in how they navigate emotional distress, which may be difficult to unlearn later.

What Is IFS Therapy?

Internal Family Systems is a therapeutic model that views the mind as naturally composed of different parts. Each part has its own perspective, feelings, and role. In IFS, we work with protector parts that have developed strategies to keep us safe, exiled parts that carry emotional wounds or trauma, and what we call Self energy. Self energy is our core essence characterized by qualities like curiosity, compassion, and calm.

On the surface, IFS can appear deceptively simple. It's easy to think, "Oh, we're just talking to parts—how complicated can that be?" But this simplicity is misleading. The actual practice of IFS requires tremendous attunement to your client. It demands sophisticated clinical decision-making in the moment and a deep understanding of how to navigate complex internal systems without causing harm. This level of skill takes years to develop and requires extensive practice, personal IFS work, and ongoing supervision.

The Different Levels of IFS Training

Not all IFS practitioners have the same level of training. Understanding these distinctions can help you make an informed choice about who you work with.

IFS Informed

A therapist who is IFS-informed has been introduced to the basic concepts of the model. There is nothing that officially qualifies someone as an IFS-informed practitioner. Anyone can give themselves this label. They may have attended an introductory workshop, read books by Richard Schwartz or other IFS authors, or incorporated some IFS language and ideas into their existing therapeutic approach. While these therapists have some familiarity with IFS, they have not completed comprehensive training in the model under the rigorous standards of the institute. An IFS-informed therapist might use parts language or help you notice protective patterns, but they are not trained to guide you through the full IFS process.

IFS Trained

IFS trained therapists have completed one or more levels of official IFS training through the IFS Institute. This institute has a set structure and standards for how the model is taught. There are three levels of IFS training, each building on the previous one. Level 1 training provides a basic overview of the model through approximately 100 hours of experiential learning. Level 2 training focuses on applying IFS to specific niches such as neuroscience, depression, alcoholism, addiction, children, and couples work. Level 3 is a shorter training designed for advanced practitioners working with more complex clinical situations. Therapists must wait six months between completing one level and applying for the next, allowing time for integration and practice.

These IFS trainings include careful guidance and feedback from lead trainers and training assistants. This support helps students develop their skills. The training goes much deeper than simply learning concepts; it includes experiential learning and developing clinical judgment through practice. However, it's important to understand that therapists who complete these trainings are not required to prove their skill set through assessment, engage in ongoing supervision, or participate in their own IFS therapy to call themselves IFS trained therapists. Technically, someone who takes a training only needs to complete the training itself to identify as an IFS therapist. This is why it's so helpful, as a client, to ask detailed questions and thoroughly understand where your therapist is in their IFS journey.

IFS Certified

IFS certification is a credential that reflects a skill set being tested directly through observation. This happens either through direct observation from an approved IFS trainer or by reviewing a recording of the practitioner's work. The trainer measures the therapist's ability to move through the model effectively and evaluates their clinical decision-making skills in real-time with clients.

To qualify for the certification path, a practitioner does not have to complete all three levels of training offered by the institute. However, they do need to have completed either Level 1 and Level 2 trainings or Level 1 training plus experience serving as a mentor assistant in a Level 1 training. Beyond the training requirements, certified practitioners must have been actively practicing the IFS model for a certain number of hours over at least two years following their initial Level 1 training. They're also required to complete a specific number of supervision hours through both group and individual supervision settings.

It's crucial to note that none of these training levels— informed, trained, or certified—requires the therapist to have personal experience with IFS therapy as a client. This means you may work with an IFS therapist who has never been on the other side of things themselves. Sometimes, even with all the credentials in the world, a therapist cannot hold the space effectively because of a lack of their own inner work. This is exactly why asking these questions is so important to inform your choice.

IFS Approved Clinical Consultants

There is one more level worth mentioning: the IFS approved clinical consultant. This designation represents an even higher level of expertise within the IFS community. An IFS approved clinical consultant is a certified IFS practitioner who has gone through additional rigorous testing to essentially earn the equivalent of a supervisory designation. These consultants can support others who are going through IFS trainings and working toward certification. They are significantly qualified to help anyone interested in IFS on their learning journey with the model. If you're working with an approved clinical consultant, you're working with someone who has demonstrated advanced proficiency and has been entrusted to guide other practitioners.

Why These Distinctions Matter

You might wonder why it matters so much whether your therapist is informed, trained, or certified in IFS. The reason comes down to safety and effectiveness. IFS works with vulnerable, wounded parts of ourselves. If a therapist moves too quickly, misses important protective concerns, or doesn't know how to help you stay grounded in Self energy, the work can feel overwhelming or even retraumatizing.

Sometimes clients end up retraumatized because their therapist wasn't able to see them in the way they needed to be seen. They may not have helped them connect to Self energy before going into sensitive material and ended up moving too fast through the process. Without proper training in a model that emphasizes slowing down and attunement, some therapists may unintentionally invalidate or overlook important experiences. Additionally, therapists who haven't done their own IFS work may have parts that unknowingly project their own belief systems onto clients. This can interfere with the therapeutic process in ways they can't recognize.

I've seen clients who worked with well-meaning therapists who read a book about IFS and thought they could practice it. These clients sometimes come to me feeling confused, flooded with emotion, or having developed a belief that they're "doing it wrong" because the work didn't unfold the way it should have. This isn't about blaming therapists who are learning—we all start somewhere—but it highlights why training and supervision are so crucial for this particular model.

Richard Schwartz has been clear about this concern as IFS has grown in popularity. He wants people to have access to IFS, but he also wants to protect the integrity of the work. He aims to ensure that people aren't harmed by practitioners who haven't developed the skills needed to practice safely.

Questions to Ask a Potential IFS Therapist

If you're considering working with an IFS therapist, you have every right to ask about their training and experience. Here are some questions that can help you assess their qualifications:

About Their Training: Ask them directly about their level of IFS training. Have they completed the official IFS training program through the IFS Institute, or are they self-taught through books and workshops? How many hours of IFS training have they completed? Are they working toward certification, or have they already achieved it?

About Their Experience: How long have they been practicing IFS? How many clients have they worked with using this model? Do they receive ongoing consultation or supervision from more experienced IFS practitioners? This matters because IFS skills continue to develop with practice and feedback over time.

About Their Personal Work: Has the therapist done their own IFS therapy? Richard Schwartz emphasizes that practitioners need to work with their own systems to truly understand the model. They must avoid bringing their own unhealed parts into the therapy room. A qualified IFS therapist should be willing to share that they've engaged in personal IFS work, though they don't need to share details about their own process.

About Their Approach: How do they describe their approach to working with protectors? How do they help clients stay grounded in Self energy? What do they do when a client becomes overwhelmed during a session? Their answers to these questions can give you a sense of their clinical sophistication and whether they understand the nuances of IFS practice.

About Scope of Practice: Are there certain presentations or issues they don't feel comfortable working with using IFS? A thoughtful practitioner will have clarity about their own limitations and when they might refer someone to a more experienced IFS therapist or suggest a different therapeutic approach.

What If You're Already Working with Someone?

If you're currently in therapy with someone who says they practice IFS, and you're not sure about their training level, it's absolutely okay to ask. A competent, ethical therapist will be transparent about their qualifications and won't be defensive about the question. In fact, they should welcome your curiosity and agency in your own treatment.

If you discover that your therapist is IFS-informed but not trained or certified, you can have a conversation about what that means for your work together. They might be incorporating some IFS concepts into a broader therapeutic approach, which could still be helpful. However, if you're specifically seeking comprehensive IFS therapy for trauma or complex issues, you may want to seek out a therapist with more advanced training.

The Bottom Line

IFS therapy can be incredibly powerful and transformative when practiced by a skilled clinician. They must invest in proper training and continue to develop their skills. As IFS becomes more mainstream, it's essential that you, as a client, have the information you need to make informed choices about your care.

Don't be afraid to ask questions about credentials and training. You deserve to work with someone who has the skills to guide you safely through the IFS process. Your healing journey is too important to leave to chance. Choosing a qualified IFS practitioner is one of the most important decisions you can make in that journey.

If you're looking for an IFS therapist, the IFS Institute maintains a directory of trained and certified practitioners on their website. This can be a good starting point for finding qualified practitioners in your area. Remember, you have the right to be selective and to choose someone whose training and approach feel right for you.