Using Internal Family Systems Therapy in Trauma Treatment

Developed by Richard Schwartz, PhD, Internal Family Systems (IFS) is becoming one of the fastest-growing therapy models in the United States. The evidenced-based approach is non-pathologizing and attends to the complex impact of traumatic stress, making it effective for working with posttraumatic stress (PTSD) and Complex Trauma.

In this 2-hour continuing education webinar, Dr. Fatter will review the basic model of IFS, including theoretical assumptions, goals for treatment, and steps of using the IFS model. Dr. Fatter will apply an IFS framework to conceptualize PTSD and discuss IFS techniques to specifically work with trauma. This webinar will include case examples to describe the process of applying IFS to trauma treatment in individual therapy with adults. Dr. Fatter will guide an experiential exercise to demonstrate the model and invite clinicians to have increased awareness of their own parts. This webinar will also include ways IFS can be used to help clinicians cope with countertransference reactions and vicarious trauma that often occurs among clinicians when providing trauma treatment. Applications of IFS to legacy burdens, traumas that are passed down intergenerationally from parents, caregivers, and ancestors as well as burdens passed down from larger cultural systems, will also be discussed.

This introductory web conference is designed to help mental health professionals:

1. Describe assumptions of Internal Family Systems (IFS) theory.
2. Report characteristics of Self.
3. Identify qualities of the three types of parts in an individual’s system.
4. Report on two specific IFS techniques necessary for using IFS in trauma treatment.
5. Examine one's own parts through an experiential exercise to familiarize oneself with the IFS model.

Statement of program material’s accuracy, utility, and risks: The content of this webinar is accurate and up-to-date with industry standards. Its utility is relevant and applicable for all clinicians. There are no known risks of the course content presented other than participants may increase their self-awareness of their own “parts” which may be activating.

Declaration of any conflict of interest: None.

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact GoodTherapy here.

Continuing Education (CE) Information

2 CE contact hours will be provided by GoodTherapy for attending this web conference in its entirety. 

GoodTherapy is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.

GoodTherapy.org, provider #1352, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. GoodTherapy.org maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 3/30/2022 – 3/30/2025. Social workers completing this course receive 2 clinical continuing education credits.

GoodTherapy is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. GoodTherapy maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

GoodTherapy, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0395. GoodTherapy, LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0022 and for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0031.

To receive CE credit hours for an archived event, you will need to complete a survey as well as a 12 or 15-question exam, verifying that you listened to or watched the event in its entirety. Archived CE events generally are considered "homestudy" by licensing boards.

Registration Information

Premium and Pro Membership with GoodTherapy includes access to this web conference at no additional cost, as well as other member benefits such as a profile listing in GoodTherapy's Therapist Directory. Not yet a member? Sign up for a Premium or Pro Membership, here.

Just want CE credits? Sign up for a monthly or annual CE Subscription with GoodTherapy to get unlimited access to our CE Program, including this event, other live CE web conferences, and hundreds of hours of homestudy courses.

Mental health professionals who are not members can access the homestudy recording for $15.50. Sign up here to purchase this CE course and earn a CE certificate.

If the event is canceled by GoodTherapy, registrants who purchased the event will be notified and the charge for the event will be refunded

If you have any questions or would like information regarding disability accommodations, please contact us.

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