OUTLINE OF EACH WEEK'S OBJECTIVE, TOPICS & ACTIVITIES
Week 1: Introduction to IFS and the Concept of Inner Parts
Objective:
Introduce the group to IFS and the foundational concept of creating a safe internal space to rest, develop a language for communicating with ourselves, and explore the idea of parts.
Topics:
- Overview of IFS as a model of therapy and healing.
- Understanding the concept of “parts” (exiles, managers, firefighters).
- The role of the Self in healing and fostering internal safety.
Activities:
- Group discussion on initial reactions to the idea of parts.
- Discuss insights or challenges from the previous week's homework.
- Guided meditation to help participants identify one or two parts within themselves and explore how they create or block internal safety.
- Homework: Journaling about parts that surfaced during the session and reflect on how these parts influence internal communication and safety.
Week 2: Getting to Know Your Parts
Objective:
Help participants begin identifying and naming their parts and start building a compassionate internal dialogue.
Topics:
- How parts form and their roles in protecting the system.
- Understanding protective parts (managers and firefighters) and vulnerable parts (exiles).
- Developing curiosity and compassion toward all parts as a foundation for effective internal communication.
Activities:
- Guided exploration of different parts through visualization or imagery work.
- Small group sharing of experiences with a focus on non-judgmental listening and mutual support.
- Discuss insights or challenges from the previous week's homework.
- Homework: Choose one part to focus on during the week and explore its emotions, thoughts, and behaviours, considering how it communicates its needs.
Week 3: Building a Relationship with Your Parts
Objective:
Deepen the connection between the Self and individual parts, fostering an authentic internal relationship.
Topics:
- The Self as the core of healing and safety.
- How to build a relationship with parts from the Self—using curiosity, compassion, and non-judgment.
- Recognizing and managing parts that resist Self-leadership, while creating space for them to feel understood.
- Negotiating with parts to manage intensity and timing of their roles.
Activities:
- Practice dialoguing with parts using IFS language (e.g., asking a part what it wants, why it’s here) to foster understanding and negotiation. This includes connecting with a part to understand its fears, perspectives, information, goals, drives, and interests. Explore the innate qualities the part wants to share with you and the world, the gifts it brings, and the statement of truth it holds. Each part carries a gift, a fear, and a truth that it seeks to express.
- Group reflection on breakthroughs and challenges in connecting with parts.
- Discuss insights or challenges from the previous week's homework.
- Homework: Practice connecting with one part each day from a place of compassion and explore ways to encourage mutual support between parts.
Week 4: Healing Exiles
Objective:
Begin addressing the more vulnerable and hurt parts (exiles).
Topics:
- Recognizing exile parts and the roles they play in our emotional and mental life.
- How managers and firefighters protect exiles.
- Creating safety for exiles to surface.
Activities:
- Guided meditation to safely access exiled parts.
- Group discussion on how protective parts may react to the idea of engaging exiles.
- Homework: Journaling about an exile that surfaced and what that part needs from the Self.
Week 5: Unburdening and Releasing Trauma
Objective:
Facilitate the process of unburdening exiles and releasing emotional baggage.
Topics:
- The unburdening process in IFS—how parts can release their extreme roles and burdens.
- Allowing parts to heal and transform through Self-energy.
- The impact of unburdening on the whole system.
Activities:
- Group visualisation or creative expression to assist in unburdening a part.
- Practice asking a part to reduce its intensity, wait for a specific time, or work on solving a problem in the background as part of negotiating with parts.
- Sharing personal insights on how the system changes when a part is unburdened.
- Homework: Continue engaging with an exiled or burdened part and exploring how it transforms after unburdening.
Week 6: Integrating IFS into Daily Life
Objective:
Equip participants with tools to continue using IFS independently.
Topics:
- How to stay connected to the Self and maintain balance in the system.
- Practising Self-leadership and cultivating compassion in daily interactions.
- Continuing the journey of healing beyond the group.
Activities:
- Reflective discussion on participants’ growth and transformation throughout the course.
- Practical tips for applying IFS principles in everyday life.
- Closing reflection or acknowledgment to honour the group’s journey.
- Homework: Create a personal IFS practice plan to continue working with parts post-group.