How is "Choice" is the 9th "C" of Self in Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?

In the world of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, the concept of the “8 C’s” has become a cornerstone for understanding and embodying Self-leadership. These eight qualities—calm, curiosity, clarity, compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, and connectedness—serve as guiding lights on the journey. But there’s a compelling argument that one more “C” deserves a seat at the table: Choice.

As IFS continues to evolve and meet the complexity of modern therapeutic needs, the idea of choice as the 9th “C” is not only relevant, it may be essential. Here, I'll dig into how excavating choice enhances the existing framework of the 8 C’s, deepening the healing process in IFS Therapy, and reinforces the empowering nature of Self-leadership.

Before we explore choice, let’s revisit the 8 C’s that define the concept and qualities of Self in IFS.

1. Calm – The nervous system feels settled.

2. Curiosity – There’s interest in inner experience, without judgment.

3. Clarity – Perception becomes free of distortion.

4. Compassion – An open-hearted care arises for all parts.

5. Confidence – Trust in one’s ability to lead from Self.

6. Courage – The willingness to face discomfort and pain.

7. Creativity – Flexible, non-linear problem-solving and expression.

8. Connectedness – A felt sense of interrelationship, both internally and externally.

These qualities are not achieved or manufactured, but rather revealed when the protective system relaxes, and Self comes forward.

How Choice Deserves to Be the 9th “C” of Self

So where does choice fit in?

Choice is the bridge between being and doing. While the 8 C’s describe a state of being from Self, I would argue that choice is the expression of agency that emerges from that state. Without choice, the qualities of Self risk becoming passive or contemplative rather than actionable and transformative.

1. Choice is What Self-Led Action Can Look Like

When we’re blended with parts, especially protectors like managers or firefighters, our actions tend to be reactive, compulsive, or defensive. In contrast, when we're in Self, our behavior becomes more considered, and compassionate. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy teaches us to unblend from parts so that Self can lead. But what does Self do once it’s leading? It makes choices, consciously, and with clarity. In this way, choice becomes the embodiment of the 8 C’s.

2. Choice Reinforces Unblending

When a client says, “I have to do this,” we’re often hearing from a part, usually a protector. But when a client can say, “I choose to do this,” we’re witnessing a shift into Self. Adding choice to the 8 C’s highlights a key therapeutic goal: helping clients discern between impulse and intention. It also provides language to differentiate between part-driven behavior and Self-led living.

3. Choice Promotes Empowerment

In trauma work, where powerlessness is often at the core wound, reclaiming choice is revolutionary. Many clients come to therapy with internal dynamics shaped by survival strategies that felt necessary, but not chosen. As clients begin to relate to these parts with curiosity and compassion, they create space for choice: to listen instead of override, to soothe instead of suppress, to engage instead of avoid. Every act of choice restores a little more sovereignty to the system.

Let’s bring this into practice with a few examples:

• A part says, “You can’t rest, you’re lazy!” Self responds: “I hear your afraid, but I choose to rest, and I will check in with you after.”

• A firefighter urges, “Just have a drink! You need relief.” Self responds, “I understand the urgency. Maybe I can choose to take a long walk instead and we can see how we feel after.”

• A manager insists, “Don’t cry. Stay strong!” Self reassures: “It’s okay to feel. I can choose to be with this sadness.”

Each moment of choice reflects the 8 C’s: it takes calm to pause, clarity to hear the part, courage to feel, compassion to care, and confidence to act differently.

IFS Therapists (and, Everyone Else) Should Talk About Choice as the 9th "C" of Self

For practitioners of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, integrating the concept of choice into your language can deepen the therapeutic process. It helps clients feel less trapped by their parts and more empowered to engage in their own healing.

Here’s how to weave choice into your IFS practice:

• Highlight it as a signal of Self: “It sounds like you’re noticing you have a choice here. I wonder if you can pause and just feel what that's like to have options now.”

• Normalise it in moments the system wants to go fast: “Even when parts feel urgent, you can still slow down there's often still a choice available.”

• Use it to validate growth: “Last year, that part would have taken over. Today, you made a choice. That’s huge.”

  
  

Reframing the 8 C’s as a Framework for Choice

What if we reframed the 8 C’s as internal conditions that support conscious choice?

• Calm creates space to pause and reflect before acting.

• Curiosity allows space to explore and notice what is happening.

• Clarity helps you see consequences and motivations.

• Compassion opens a path for inclusive decisions that honour all parts.

• Confidence strengthens resolve.

• Courage supports difficult but necessary choices.

• Creativity generates possibilities.

• Connectedness considers relational impact.

And at the centre of it all: choice, or the Self’s ability to respond rather than react.

Incorporating choice as the 9th “C” does more than expand a list, it broadens our understanding of self-leadership. It reminds us that this is not just a way of feeling, but a way of acting. In that sense, choice is the muscle of the Self.

By naming choice explicitly, we reinforce the central truth of IFS: No part is bad, and all parts are welcome, but only the Self can choose how we move forward.

So the next time you reflect on the 8 C’s, consider adding one more: Choice.

Not as an afterthought, but as a culmination.

About the Author

Sean Cuthbert is a Clinical Psychologist, Psychology Board of Australia (PBA) Approved Supervisor, Certified IFS Therapist, and IFS-I Approved Clinical Consultant in private practice in Melbourne, online throughout Australia, and internationally. He provides 1:1 therapy for clients, and supports professionals through individual and group supervision/consultation.