Workshop Description:
In this daylong virtual workshop, we will explore the integration of art therapy principles with Internal Family Systems (IFS) for use by all mental health professionals. Prior training in expressive therapies and in IFS is not required; learned skills can be interwoven into your work. If trained in either approach, this highly experiential workshop will enhance your skills.The goal of IFS is to build internal cooperation and homeostasis through increasing "self-leadership" by using nine internal resources such as compassion. Art has shown to be effective in bridging our internal world with our external life, provide safety, regulation, and containment thus softening protector parts (Kolodny & Mazero, 2023; Kolodny 2025). These advantages align well with body challenges found within eating disorders. Both personal and cultural influence can shape body-shaming, dysmorphia, and weight bias. Case material will demonstrate how the presenters have applied art therapy process with IFS to effectively work with individuals and groups in treatment. Participants will be able to experience somatic body outlines, body mapping, Jungian active imagination in collage, and clay parts work to explore distorted beliefs and wounds that parts may hold, including polarizations. In fostering Self-energy and unblending through art, clients develop "in-sights" on how this process can enhance emotional and clinical development ( Anderson & Schwartz, 20. Participants will practice 6 F’s dialoging with parts that emerge both somatically and within the artwork, allowing for an embodied understanding of the concepts. Both presenters have published chapters on these topics.
Learning Objectives:
1. Clarify 3 or more ways that IFS and art therapy theory complement each other to promote transformation for clients in both individual and group settings.
2. Describe 4 IFS-informed art interventions used to identify parts and their relationship to each other, fostering unblending, enhancing internal dialogue and increasing self-compassion in both the clinician and the client.
3. Participants will be able to describe the 6 f’s of the IFS model and how it applies in art making.