Description

Join Dr. Richard Schwartz, Ph.D., the founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dr. Jeanne Catanzaro, Vice President and co-owner of the Internal Family Systems Institute, for a two-day, live, in-person training focused on using the IFS model to treat trauma. You will learn core IFS concepts, watch live demonstrations, case discussion, and leave with practical, clinical strategies you can apply immediately in your work with clients
COURSE OVERVIEW
Unlocking the Healing Self: A Deep Dive Into Internal Family Systems Model
This training centers on Dr. Schwartz’s discovery of IFS, that healing occurs when protective parts feel safe and the Self can lead. You will see IFS applied to trauma treatment through demonstrations, teaching, and discussion designed for real clinical use.
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✔ Live demonstrations
Watch IFS in action as the presenters work clinically and explain what they’re doing in real time.✔ Trauma-focused application
Learn how trauma impacts parts and how to help clients create safety so healing can occur.✔ Teaching + Q&A
Bring your real clinical questions and clarify concepts you want to apply immediately.

June 25-26, 2026
9:00 AM – 4:30 PM ET
Two ways to attend: In-person in Grand Rapids, MI or Live Online (Zoom)
Venue:
Amway Grand Plaza,
187 Monroe NW
Grand Rapids, MI, 49503
The room block for this event is at the nearby AC Hotel Grand Rapids Downtown. Book your discounted hotel stay.
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Earn up to 12 CE
CE Certificate included
Approved associations:
• National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
• National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
Suncrest Counseling, P.C
“Unlocking the Healing Self: A Deep Dive Into Internal Family Systems Model”
ACEP No. 7258.

*This program is under review See all CE infoHotel room block

Stay around the corner
Rooms are not available at the workshop venue. We have an attendee room block at a nearby hotel at an extra discounted price point.
AC Hotel Grand Rapids Downtown
50 Monroe Ave NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503, US
Course Overview
Help Clients Heal With More Clarity, Compassion, and Self-Leadership
Across two days, you’ll deepen IFS theory and practice. See IFS in action—then apply some techniques Monday morning
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based therapeutic model that conceptualizes the mind as a system of “parts,” each with distinct emotional roles, beliefs, and protective strategies. The model also identifies a core Self that can guide internal interactions with clarity and compassion. This workshop provides an introduction to the theoretical foundations of IFS and its application in clinical settings.
Participants will examine protector and exile dynamics, the impact of trauma and attachment injuries on internal functioning, and the process of unblending to increase access to Self. The course will also address the concept of legacy burdens—intergenerational beliefs, emotions, and behavioral patterns transmitted through family or cultural systems—and their influence on parts’ roles and responses. Additional emphasis will be placed on therapist self-awareness, transference and countertransference through an IFS lens, and the maintenance of a Self-led therapeutic stance. Training methods include lecture, live demonstrations, video demonstrations, and experiential skills practice to support the integration of IFS interventions into clinical practice.
Note:
This training teaches skills and demonstrates the model. Certification in IFS is only available through the IFS Institute. Learn more about
IFS certification.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Define the core constructs of IFS (Self, parts, protectors, exiles) and accurately label them in at least two case vignettes.
- Identify at least three indicators that a client is accessing Self and distinguish these from manager or firefighter presentations.
- Formulate a treatment plan that sequences IFS interventions (e.g., mapping, unblending, direct access) for a trauma case scenario.
- Demonstrate two strategies to reduce resistance in protective parts while maintaining a Self-led stance.
- Describe how internal attachment dynamics operate within IFS and map those dynamics to an attachment-injury vignette.
- Explain how trauma adaptations shape parts’ roles and select one IFS intervention to increase safety for exiles.
- Implement a stepwise process for unblending and increasing Self-leadership during an activation, using sample prompts.
- Apply IFS-consistent responses to transference and countertransference in a role-play, preserving a Self-led therapeutic alliance.
- Assess therapist parts that may impact treatment and outline a personal practice to increase Self-to-part relationships.
- Conduct a brief parts-mapping exercise and document target outcomes for two prioritized parts.
- Legacy Burdens: Assess for intergenerational beliefs/rules (e.g., shame, perfectionism, hypervigilance) and design an IFS-informed intervention plan (e.g., witnessing, retrieval, unburdening) to address one identified legacy burden.
- Evaluate treatment progress using at least two observable markers (e.g., part unblending, reduced polarization) and adjust the IFS plan accordingly.
About Richard Schwartz, PhD

Founder of Internal Family Systems
Dr. Richard Schwartz developed the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model through decades of clinical work and systems research. His discovery that parts relax when safe—and Self naturally leads—has shaped contemporary trauma treatment worldwide. He is a featured speaker and the author of numerous books and articles on IFS.
About Jeanne Catanzaro, PhD

Vice President & co-owner, Internal Family Systems Institute
Dr. Catanzaro is a clinical psychologist with more than thirty years of experience treating eating disorders and trauma. Trained in psychodynamic psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing, and EMDR, she later grounded her work in IFS. She is the author of Unburdened Eating and contributes to the growth and teaching of IFS worldwide.






