Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy

Emma E. Redfern is a certified IFS therapist, approved IFS clinical supervisor/ consultant, and an experienced IFS Institute program assistant. Working online in private practice in the southwest of England, she is a senior BACP- accredited psychotherapist and supervisor. Emma has experience offering workshops (including on IFS and supervision) and has had several articles published in professional journals. She is the editor of Internal Family Systems Therapy: Supervision and Consultation, also published by Routledge.

"With kind yet uncompromising clarity, Redfern introduces the “Self-who-feels-no-fear.” Having made her own transitions from “integrative psychotherapist to EMDR practitioner to IFS therapist and supervisor,” Redfern addresses these fears from deep personal experience.This is the first book I’ve ever read that emphasizes the “Family” in IFS. By doing so, it offers clinicians a new and liberating approach to the model. When you “transition” from other modes of therapy to IFS by experiencing it in your own system, you’re no longer just a therapist; you’re a family of Parts, each and all with wisdom to offer."Ash Chudgar in Parts and Self, July 2024"IFS is a radically different paradigm from most other psychotherapies. So many new IFS therapists struggle to fully understand the new concepts and fully embrace the new techniques. Emma Redfern is an accomplished IFS therapist who has years of experience helping therapists make this transition. In this book, she has distilled the lessons from that experience into practical tips and exercises. She has also borrowed IFS wisdom from me and many IFS trainers and offers all of this in a very readable and relatable package. If you’re struggling at all with becoming an IFS therapist, this book is for you."Richard Schwartz, PhD, creator of internal family systems therapy"This is a book for all. Emma's inclusive style brings a deeper understanding of IFS to practitioners from a non-counselling background. She guides the reader to a deeper understanding of the methodology, making IFS accessible and real. She answers the ‘why’ so that you can adapt and take IFS to your own organisations and communities. It's like learning to play music by ear when you have previously only played off the script."Helen Telford, certified IFS practitioner and leading independent management consultant working across Australia and New Zealand"Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy is a welcome addition to the IFS literature, filling a void for therapists and practitioners making this sometimes challenging transition. With refreshing clarity, Redfern demystifies common and predictable dilemmas and potential barriers that those transitioning to IFS will encounter. Practical exercises complement each chapter’s text. The reader is encouraged to remember they are training in a new modality from a position of competence and ability, and Redfern reassures that with study and practice, the gaps in knowledge and skill will begin to fill in. Encouragement to embrace IFS practice by experiencing it not only as a provider but also as a client is especially poignant. There are many examples from Redfern’s own practice that help to normalize the challenges of this type of transition and offer ongoing compassion to parts of the therapist and practitioner who may get polarized during their journey. This book will be a very compelling companion and an invaluable resource to be returned to many times."Ann E. Drouilhet, LMFT, LICSW, AAMFT-approved supervisor and certified IFS therapist and co-lead trainer for IFIO

• Lit of Support Materials, Exercises, Figures and Tables Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Barriers to Transitioning: Not Buying into Self, Self-Leadership, and the IFS Model 1. Self-Leadership is the Gamechanger in IFS 2. Giving Yourself and IFS Some Time Part II: Barrier to Transitioning: Not Grasping Key IFS Concepts and Practices 3. Understanding the Why, the What, and the When of the IFS Model 4. Learning How to Contract with Multiplicity in Mind 5. Differentiating Between Key IFS Concepts and Practices Part III: Barriers to Transitioning: Fear, Loss, and Frustration 6. Embracing Direct Access and Freeing Self to Lead 7. Being with Triggering Parts and Helping Them Be With You 8. Working with Self-Like Parts and Clients with "No Self-Energy" Part IV: Barriers to Transitioning: Professional Isolation and Loneliness 9. Being in IFS Supervision 10. Having IFS Therapy and Experiencing the Laws of Inner Physics 11. In Others’ Words References Appendix Index