Application of IFS to Christian Contemplation Practice

Application of IFS to Christian Contemplation Practice

The purpose of this article is to show that Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), a psychotherapeutic method, can be an effective contemplative practice for Christians. IFS is developed by a psychotherapist Richard Schwartz to treat patients. This method aims at people’s being free from their inner dissonance by differentiating their self from their parts. In this way, people can create inner harmony within their inner systems and build healthy relationships with others as well. The process of IFS has a lot in common with Christian contemplative practice, in that the IFS process embodies two main ways of contemplative practice: kataphatic and apophatic. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercise (kataphatic) and centering prayer (apophatic) give backgrounds of how IFS resembles the two ways of Christian contemplation. Also, common characteristics of IFS and Christian contemplative practice, such as engaging in our inner works and acknowledging the Self and parts in us, offer us a possibility of using IFS as a Christian contemplative practice. Therefore, as an attempt to integrate IFS and Christian contemplative practice, I propose IFS as a Christian contemplative prayer practice with its three essential steps: preparation prayer, active prayer, and staying prayer. As Christians apply IFS in their spiritual practice, I believe they can enrich their Christian spirituality and experience healing of their inner wounds.

The purpose of this article is to show that Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), a psychotherapeutic method, can be an effective contemplative practice for Christians. IFS is developed by a psychotherapist Richard Schwartz to treat patients. This method aims at people’s being free from their inner dissonance by differentiating their self from their parts. In this way, people can create inner harmony within their inner systems and build healthy relationships with others as well. The process of IFS has a lot in common with Christian contemplative practice, in that the IFS process embodies two main ways of contemplative practice: kataphatic and apophatic. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercise (kataphatic) and centering prayer (apophatic) give backgrounds of how IFS resembles the two ways of Christian contemplation. Also, common characteristics of IFS and Christian contemplative practice, such as engaging in our inner works and acknowledging the Self and parts in us, offer us a possibility of using IFS as a Christian contemplative practice. Therefore, as an attempt to integrate IFS and Christian contemplative practice, I propose IFS as a Christian contemplative prayer practice with its three essential steps: preparation prayer, active prayer, and staying prayer. As Christians apply IFS in their spiritual practice, I believe they can enrich their Christian spirituality and experience healing of their inner wounds.