IFS and Trauma Research
IFS is an approach which can support those with Trauma and PTSD. Antidotally may have expounded its value but as an emerging therapy the research as yet is mainly around small studies but is promising.
A recent review that examined 27 studies concluded that IFS seems especially promising for PTSD and conditions such as chronic pain and depression see Buys, M. E. (2025). Exploring the evidence for Internal Family Systems therapy: a scoping review of current research, gaps, and future directions. Clinical Psychologist, 29(3), 241–260 at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13284207.2025.2533127 .
The article comments that IFS’s approach of increasing self-compassion and its scope with diverse populations is part of its strength.
Origins and Foundations of Internal Family Systems
Whilst IFS is an emerging therapy in the UK, it has been around in the United States since the 80’s where Dick Schwartz its founder began to explore how his patients had an inner family of parts.
Those parts holding intense emotional pain due to attachment wounds and traumatic experiences were often exiled from consciousness and hidden by defensive parts which functioned as protectors.
However, the theories underpinning the approach are not new and are based in well-known therapeutic approaches which draw on the principle that we all have a SELF that is well resourced and undamaged by our experiences.
Authors have written on what the approach can offer to the treatment of trauma. See Martha Sweezy’s book.
Dick Schwartz discusses his approach to trauma and Internal Family Systems origins in this YouTube video. In this video Dick discusses some common defender parts such as the inner critic and exiles.
Mapping Your Parts
If you are interested in getting to know more about your parts and wondering where to start mapping your parts is a great exercise.
This video explains more about how to start to gently get to know some of your parts: using the example of a perfectionist part you can get to know it better by asking the following questions:
What do you want?
What are you trying to protect me from?
What are you concerned about if you stopped being perfectionist?
Curiosity and Compassion
Approaching our parts in this way using IFS with curiosity and compassion can help us to understand ourselves more deeply and approach our day-to-day trauma and PTSD reactions and experiences with greater compassion and understanding.
