Cece Sykes

A self-guided workbook to lead yourself through the IFS process and create inner harmony and peace, as endorsed by Dr. Richard C. Schwartz, founder of Internal Family Systems Transform the way you relate to yourself and your mental health struggles with this clear and structured guide to Internal Family Systems (IFS), an evidence-based approach to parts work therapy. The IFS model views every person as having an "internal family" of parts or subpersonalities, each with their own set of thoughts, feelings, and roles. Some parts hold pain from the past, while others work to prevent that pain from surfacing. When parts are understood and accepted, they can release this pain and heal. Developed by a veteran IFS clinician who has lived, practiced, and trained others on the IFS model for more than 25 years, The Self-Led Internal Family Systems Workbook can help you connect to your true, authentic Self--which is always inside of you, ready to lead--so you can meet your internal family of parts, respond compassionately when they're activated, and send them healing energy when they need it. Key features of this workbook: Accessible Self-Paced Process. Move through the IFS practice at your own speed and comfort level using IFS skills that have been adapted for beginners. Clear and Structured Approach. Bring clarity and insight to your internal world by navigating it with step-by-step skills, exercises, and worksheets. Strategies for Common IFS Challenges. Learn to work with parts that keep you stuck in problematic cycles and offer compassion to deeply wounded parts. Transcripts of Self-Led IFS Sessions. See how an IFS clinician works with her own parts to address challenges like perfectionism, impulse control, and more." I am very grateful to my friend Tanis Allen for creating this clear, practical workbook for helping people access Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy on their own. Because she knows IFS so well, she not only offers very useful and easily followed exercises but also the important cautions and guidelines to make this powerful work safe. I enthusiastically endorse this book and see it as an important contribution to the big project of helping everyone change their inner relationships and become more Self-led."--Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, founder of the Internal Family Systems model of psychotherapy

So often, addiction is viewed as a disease or an uncontrollable habit that signals a lack of willpower. In Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Addictions, IFS educator Cece Sykes, IFS author Martha Sweezy, and IFS founder, Richard Schwartz, suggest a paradigm shift. Rather than viewing addiction as a pathology, they propose that it reflects the behavior of polarized, protective parts struggling to manage underlying emotional pain. In this manual, therapists will learn to access their core, compassionate Self and collaborate with clients in befriending protective parts who engage in addictive processes; healing the vulnerable, wounded parts they protect; and restoring balance to their system. Included inside: Experiential exercises to help clients (and therapists) get to know their own parts Guidelines for conducting assessments in an engaging, collaborative way Clear strategies for negotiating internal conflict and navigating polarizations between opposing parts Case examples annotated with step-by-step explanations Downloadable worksheets, handouts, and meditations