holdemhigh815 t1_j8myakq wrote on February 15, 2023 at 2:29 PM

Is it safe for anyone to do IFS on themselves? Like, are there sometimes it's best to do it with a therapist and not attempt it on your own?

squipple t1_j8nnrze wrote on February 15, 2023 at 5:21 PM

I'm not a licensed therapist, but I have read "No Bad Parts" by Richard C. Schwartz (the founder of IFS). In the book he goes through some exercises that are safe to do alone, but he mentions that the unburdening processes should be guided by a licensed therapist. I highly recommend the audiobook version, as the exercises are paced slowly, in a way that they act like mini therapy sessions, and can be revisited again and again.

LucilleAaronWayne OP t1_j8nym68 wrote on February 15, 2023 at 6:31 PM

Well put, u/squipple.

u/holdemhigh815 I'll add that I don't recommend doing solo IFS if you feel like you might get overwhelmed and flooded. The last thing we want is this to be a negative experience for you.

Assessing whether solo IFS is right for you involves seeing how supported you feel - do you have access to a therapist you can bring the material that arises in a solo session to, if needed? Are you dealing with big unresolved trauma? How stable do you feel in your life in general?

For my mastermind program Soul-Led IFS, in which people get 1-on-1 guidance from me in learning how to do IFS on themselves, I specify it's designed for adults grounded in at least one realm of adult life (family, home, or work). (This is the program: https://seekdeeply.com/mastermind)