Counseling: Internal Family Systems

Special issues in counseling, administration and planning, social work or higher education not appropriate to content of existing courses. Courses reflect the social services orientation of the Department of Integrated Professional Studies.

Course has asynchronous online and in-person elements, Course in person Monday and Friday 9-5pm, dates and times TBA. Open to CNSL students and SW; Education & Psych students with instructor permission

In this introductory course on Internal Family Systems (IFS) students will learn the basic concepts and steps of the theory, practice implementing the model, and use IFS concepts to increase self-awareness of their own internal system. At the end of this course students will be able to identify their own parts, lead clients in discussion about parts, lead some clients through insight work, and understand how IFS is a culturally sensitive counseling theory and modality. This course is appropriate for mental health clinicians and individuals in other helping fields (e.g. education and healthcare). This is a hybrid style course and it is a 2 week intensive course. The course runs from 7/21/25 - 8/1/25 - In-Person Days will be Monday 7/21, Friday 7/25, Monday 7/28 and Friday 8/1. (9-4 with a 1 hr lunch break each day). The focus of the in-person days will be on experiential activities to promote engagement with the IFS Model. Tuesdays - Thursdays during the course will run asynchronously, meaning students will access pre-recorded lectures and other course material and assignments on Brightspace. The focus of asynchronous learning modules will be to teach foundational ideas of the model, view demonstrations of IFS, reflect on your learning, and explore its applications across different settings and populations. Students can expect about 8hrs of asynchronous material to be presented to them each week. Students will have access to the syllabus and course schedule in advance to improve their ability to manage time effectively. Some assignments will have a due date after the course completes to allow for additional time to finish more labor intensive assignments. Students will be permitted to miss 1 in-person day during the course and substitute a-synchronous material will be provided.

Students of this course will need to attend a combination of in-person meetings and asynchronous online modules, participate in discussion and course activities including meditations and practice groups, review course materials outside of class time, and complete assignments that may include workbook exercises, reflection papers, case conceptualization paper, or group presentations. Students will be required to read several chapters of "Internal Family Systems - 2nd Ed" by Richard Schwartz and Martha Sweezy (ISBN-13: 978-1462541461) and will use "The IFS Skills Training Manual" by Frank Anderson, Martha Sweezy, and Richard Schwartz (ISBN 9781683730873). Additional readings, review of videos and podcasts outside of class may also be required. Students will be permitted to miss 1 in-person day during the course and substitute a-synchronous material will be provided.

Students will be graded on attendance and a completion of course assignments.