The Basics of Internal Family Systems (IFS)- A Free Video Class For You!
A Video To Get You Up To Speed on Working With Protectors & The Exile Unburdening Process
Hi everyone! As part of teaching the Healing Medical Trauma class I’m wrapping up, and in preparation for the IFS As Medical Treatment class I’m co-teaching with IFS master trainer and Harvard psychiatrist Frank Anderson, MD on Zoom this weekend, I just recorded a video covering the basics of IFS- the foundational premises of the IFS model, how to work with protectors and get protector permission, and the steps of “Unburdening the Exiles.”
So I wanted to be sure to share the video with you all, in case you need a refresher or aren’t familiar with the game-changing trauma healing method of Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Just this morning, I taught with IFS founder Dick Schwartz as part of the Healing Medical Trauma class, and the demo he did with one of our beautiful students just blew me away, as it always does. As my students often say “TSW” (or This Shit Works!)
You can watch The Basics of IFS video I created for everyone here. I’m hoping to create more educational videos now that may technophobic parts are learning how to use scary software! So stay tuned…
Since many of you aren’t on my main email list, let me also just let you know about some other upcoming live, in person and virtual events.
VIRTUAL ZOOM WORKSHOPS
IFS As Medical Treatment- With Lissa & Frank Anderson, MD
This weekend, June 8 & 9
Frank Anderson, MD and I are co-leading a weekend Zoom workshop about how working with the IFS model could improve health outcomes, get to know parts that might be using the body to get your attention for healing, help patients function from a more Self-led place in medical environments, reduce medical trauma, work with parts that might be polarized around medications, and educate medical professionals about how to be more trauma-informed when working with people with medical conditions. It’s open to anyone, but especially for patients with a chronic illness, caregivers of the sick, health care providers, and therapists. Watching the video I’ve included here is a prerequisite for the class unless you’re already familiar with the IFS model.
Preparing The Heart To Love Again- With Lissa & Jeffrey Rediger, MD, MDiv
July 20-21
This IFS-informed workshop is for those who have experienced heartbreak but are hoping to avoid shutting down or avoiding taking relational risks again. Whether you’re currently single and considering getting back out in the dating ring, or whether you’re in a relationship with a partner, family, or friends where attachment issues are keeping you from the healthy connection we all desire, healing trauma can help your heart prepare to be more open and receptive to loving more deeply in any of your relationships. Preparing to love again takes more than just “calling in the one,” chanting affirmations, or making vision boards to manifest your dream love. As long as your heart is bruised and unhealed, you’re likely to keep repeating the retraumatizing patterns of attracting those who are likely to break your heart again. And as long as you lack awareness of why you keep attracting the same kinds of relationships, even when you’re proactive about honing your discernment, it’s hard to stop bruising the already sore spots in your vulnerable heart.
The good news is that hearts are resilient, and those heart-breaking patterns can be broken! If you feel ready to prepare your heart to love again, so you can stop attracting people who retraumatize you and mend your heart so it can open to someone who can love you better, this workshop is for you.
LIVE, IN PERSON EVENTS
After four years of relative isolation, the world seems to be opening up again, and I've been invited to lead a few retreats I wanted to make sure you all knew about. My partner Jeffrey Rediger will be traveling with me- and teaching with me at one of the retreats and also at a fundraiser in NY. We've been engaging with many of you on Zoom and through our books and social media, but we'd absolutely love to see you in real life, eye to eye and hug to hug. We know live events are expensive to attend, but if you have the ability to financially swing any of these live retreats, it would be a joy to be with you in person, so please consider coming!
SACRED MEDICINE with Lissa Rankin, OMEGA in Rhinebeck, New York
July 12-14, 2024
First up, I'll be leading an experiential Sacred Medicine workshop at Omega Institute in the Hudson River Valley area. If you haven't been to Omega, it's like grown up summer camp for spiritual seekers- gourmet healthy food, cabins, lakes with kayaks, swimming, a beautiful temple, a lush summer garden which I love writing in. It's heaven.
TRANSITIONS & TRANSFORMATION with Lissa Rankin & Jeffrey Rediger, The Acqua Hotel, Mill Valley, CA
September 19-21, 2024
We just announced this live retreat exclusively for health care providers and therapists in transition. I'll be co-teaching this event with my physician partner Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, a Harvard psychiatrist and author of CURED. Our goal is to help health care providers relax, repair, retreat, and bond in safe, brave community with others who may be burned out and facing transitional times- in your career, in your relationships, with an empty nest, or any other big change that might be on your horizon. We're also inviting past Whole Health Medicine Institute graduates, so we can all share what we've been learning about how to heal our broken health care system while reconnecting to our sacred callings as physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, midwives, therapists, and anyone else who identifies as a health care provider.
IFS & MEMOIR WRITING, Souliology, Gozo, Malta
November 4-8, 2024
Finally, I'll be leading a memoir writing workshop, using the safety of the Internal Family Systems model as a way to go deep into our histories with minimal "backlash" from our parts. You'll have plenty of time to write in a spectacular setting. You'll also get to share your writing if you wish, receiving only positive feedback (since our muses need safety) from Lissa and your fellow retreat participants, focusing on validating your experiences while also helping you improve your writing, while bonding in community with other writers. The workshop is available for anyone with a basic understanding of IFS. If you'd like to attend but are new to IFS, we can help you catch up in time for the retreat.
I hope you find the free video helpful- and we hope to see you at some of the virtual and live workshops!
PS. Save the date for a live event that’s not ready for registration quite yet:
THE MYSTERIES OF SPONTANEOUS HEALING with Lissa Rankin & Jeffrey Rediger, Holistic Health Community in Stone Ridge, NY
July 15, 2024
We just agreed to volunteer to do a fundraiser for one of our favorite health-equity non-profits Holistic Health Community in Stone Ridge, NY. We're not even on their calendar yet, but stay tuned to this calendar if you'd like to come spent a few hours with us without committing to a full retreat.