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Grief Loves Company: an Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Lens on Parts Holding Sorrow
Grief is one of the most profound and universal experiences of being human. Yes, if you're reading this you have either grieved or you will grieve. Yet, particularly in Western cultures, grief is often met with discomfort, avoidance, or an urgency to “move on.” Western culture values productivity, achievement, and emotional control, which leaves little room for the slow, unpredictable, and sacred process of grieving. From an Internal Family Systems (IFS) perspective, our d
Sean Cuthbert
3 days ago6 min read


Dissociation and Dissociative Parts in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy: Working with the System That Leaves
In Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy (and trauma therapy in general), dissociation is a protective strategy to understand, rather than one to try and eradicate, or get rid of. When a client zones out, becomes foggy, goes blank, loses track of the conversation, or suddenly feels disconnected from themselves, something very intelligent is happening in their internal system. The client is showing how they survived overwhelming circumstances, or their childhood as a whole.
Sean Cuthbert
Jul 44 min read


When Forgiveness Is a Bypass: How a Merciful Manager Part Protects from Shame in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
Forgiveness is one of those words that sounds great, but can hide a mess of complexity underneath. Sometimes, clients often talk about wanting to forgive or be forgiven. Whether it be a parent to child, child to parent, partner to partner, or protective part to Self, forgiveness is sometimes the final step in healing. Sometimes, it is. But in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy, what looks like forgiveness can sometimes be a protective maneuver, or in IFS language, a ma
Sean Cuthbert
Apr 155 min read


IFS for Procrastination: What if the Barrier to Action Is Actually Trying to Help You?
Using the IFS model to work with procrastinating parts can transform how you see parts that seem like they are trying to hurt, into adaptive strategies that are trying to prevent pain.
Sean Cuthbert
Mar 94 min read


Focusing on the 8C's: Curiosity as the Quiet Superpower of Self in IFS Therapy
Embodied curiosity is the quiet superpower in IFS. Discover one of the key 8c's of IFS can transform your relationship with your parts.
Sean Cuthbert
Feb 123 min read
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