Our Approach to Therapy

Embracing Internal Family Systems for Healing

At Denver Emotional Health, our therapeutic approach is rooted in the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model. IFS represents a shift towards a more collaborative therapy style that leverages clients’ own intuitive wisdom. By offering a clear, non-pathologizing, and empowering perspective on human cognition and emotions, IFS fosters a dynamic relationship between therapist and client that can lead to profound healing.

A Comprehensive and Integrative Therapy Method

Our approach to therapy is both an art and a science, designed to address each person’s unique needs through a combination of traditional and experiential methods. We go beyond conventional talk therapy, integrating various therapeutic techniques to support clients in resolving their issues. Our primary framework is based on IFS, complemented by other modalities such as Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), person-centered therapy, gestalt therapy, and psychodynamic therapies. We also incorporate legal psychedelic-assisted therapies, like Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy, within our integrative IFS framework.

Understanding Internal Family Systems Therapy

Internal Family Systems Therapy, or IFS, is the cornerstone of our practice. It is a neuroscience-informed method that operates on the following principles:

• The mind is naturally subdivided into various sub-personalities or parts.
• Every person has a “Self” that should lead the internal system.
• Each part, even those that seem negative, has a positive intention for the individual.
• The goal of therapy is not to eliminate parts but to help them adopt non-extreme roles.
• Parts may express themselves as thoughts, feelings, sensations, or images, and they always exist either in potential or actuality.

Healing Through Self-Leadership

In IFS, we aim to help clients access their “Self,” a centered place of consciousness from which they can interact with their parts. By developing the Self, clients can bring balance and harmony to their internal systems. The Self, when in the lead, listens to parts’ input but makes the final decisions, ensuring that all parts contribute positively without causing distress.

The Role of Parts Work in IFS

“Parts work” is a common term for IFS therapy. It involves recognizing and working with the different parts of our psyche that influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By treating these parts as distinct entities with their own intentions, clients can better understand and manage their internal conflicts. This approach helps clients orchestrate a more harmonious and fulfilling life by leveraging the strengths of their parts while addressing their burdens.

Neuroscientific Basis of IFS

Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses on exteroceptive awareness and primarily engages the prefrontal cortex, IFS therapy emphasizes interoceptive awareness. This approach engages brain regions like the insula and the posterior cingulate gyrus, which are connected to the limbic system and brainstem. These areas are crucial for integrating body awareness, emotion, memory, and the default mode network, which is often impacted by trauma, depression, or anxiety.

Healing Trauma with IFS

Trauma can be effectively treated with IFS by understanding the multiplicitous nature of the mind and recognizing trauma symptoms as manifestations of wounded parts. These exiled parts carry extreme emotions and beliefs that cause distress. IFS helps clients access these parts, unburden them, and integrate them into a harmonious internal system.

Memory Reconsolidation and IFS

IFS therapy facilitates memory reconsolidation, a form of neuroplasticity that changes existing emotional memories. This process occurs in four phases:

1. Accessing Phase: Identifying and retrieving implicit emotional memory.
2. Reactivation Phase: Destabilizing the emotional memory network for access.
3. Mismatch Phase: Disconfirming the meaning of past memories.
4. Erasure Phase: Revising the meaning of traumatic experiences, leading to symptom relief.

Integrating IFS with Other Therapies

We integrate IFS with other evidence-based therapies such as ACT, exposure therapy, and Motivational Interviewing. This holistic approach helps clients understand and reframe their anxiety, shame, and other distressing emotions, promoting healing and personal growth.

Contact Us for Expert Therapy

At Denver Emotional Health, we are dedicated to treating trauma, depression, anxiety, OCD, and relationship issues. We offer in-person and online sessions, including free consultations to determine if our therapy approach suits your needs. For those seeking alternatives to traditional therapy, we also provide psychedelic-assisted therapies. Contact us today to learn more about how we can support your mental health journey.