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Intended Audience
This is a recorded 3.5-hour intermediate-to-advanced level IFS course for IFS-trained and IFS-informed therapists who have experience practicing IFS with many clients. EMDR therapists who are IFS-trained or IFS-informed and learning to integrate the models will also benefit from learning the intricacies and nuances of working with blended parts as taught in this workshop.
Course Description
In 15+ years of IFS practice, teaching & consulting...
Bruce has arrived at the understanding that people are nearly always blended with parts. When therapists say, “I’m not able to do IFS with this client,” what they really mean is, “I’m not able to do InSight with this client.” InSight, or internal communication, is a special circumstance requiring sustained Self-presence even when parts are activated. Even Explicit Direct Access requires a modicum of Self-presence because, to do it, the client must understand and agree that they are blended with a part. There are many times when clients have insufficient access to Self to engage in InSight or Explicit Direct Access and are blended with parts that don’t know they are parts. More often than not, in my experience, this is the case. It can be for short periods of time during specific sessions, or for long stretches of many sessions.
How are we to do IFS then? Bruce has spent many years refining his approach to IFS to be Self-led and effective under these very common conditions. Direct Access is better understood as a condition, rather than something you do. It is any time the therapist is communicating directly with a client’s blended part. Since people are blended more often than not, it is incumbent upon therapists to presume this ‘condition’ until there is proof to the contrary (Self-presence). Thus, Implicit Direct Access is the ideal default approach to IFS, because, realistically, the vast majority of time in IFS therapy will be spent in Implicit Direct Access. Becoming knowledgeable and skilled in Direct Access, especially Implicit Direct Access, is the most practical way to become proficient in clinical application of the IFS model. It is the heavy lifting required to prepare the foundation for InSight, which can then proceed more easily and fluidly.
In this workshop Bruce shares these various perspectives and tools to help you master Implicit Direct Access so that you can feel confident working with your client’s blended parts:
· Informed Curiosity – getting the most out of the 6 F’s
· The Unblend Agenda – It’s Befriending, not Unblending
· Protector Positive Intentions – A solution and a problem
· Blended for Life – “This is who I am.”
· Polarization – Winner/Loser, No-brainer
· Flipping the Part – Parts have Selves
You will learn that Direct Access is not just ‘regular talk therapy’ until you can do IFS, nor is it a less productive alternative to InSight. You may even realize that leaning into Direct Access can sometimes, paradoxically, be more powerful than any other IFS method you know.
It consists of 2 hours of PowerPoint slide presentation with plenty of discussion with the live audience, two video demonstrations (role-plays with therapists-in-consultation playing their client blended with a part) and discussion of the video demonstrations. There is also a spontaneous live demonstration with a workshop participant who is blended with a part and discussing a case that activates this therapist part. During this piece, Bruce effectively demonstrates the approach he is teaching.
During the workshop, Bruce shares numerous insights, innovative concepts and techniques beyond what can be listed in this brief course description. Like many of his workshops, after taking it you will want to review it to fully capture its fullness and many nuances. One participant during the workshop stated it this way in the zoom chat to the host, “Where did you find this guy? He’s fantastic!”
Learning Objectives
After completing this workshop, participants will be able to:
- Define Implicit Direct Access.
- Discuss the concepts of Winner v. Loser & No-Brainer in the context of Polarizations.
- Identify the Problem and Solution aspects of a blended part's Fears and Positive Intentions.
- Discuss the notion of Self within Parts and its relevance to ‘Flipping’ a blended part.
References
Anderson, F.G., Sweezy, M., & Schwartz, R.C. (2017). Internal family systems skills training manual: Trauma-informed treatment for anxiety, depression, PTSD & substance abuse. Eau Claire, Wisconsin: PESI Publishing.
Ecker, B., Ticic, R., & Hulley, L. (2024). Unlocking the Emotional Brain: Eliminating symptoms at their roots using memory reconsolidation. Second Edition. New York: Routledge.
Ecker, B., Bridges, S.K. (2020) How the Science of Memory Reconsolidation Advances the Effectiveness and Unification of Psychotherapy. Clinical Social Work Journal 48, 287–300. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-020-00754-z
Hersey, B. (2025). Syzygy: Alignment of EMDR, IFS, and Memory Reconsolidation. In D. Polidi IFS-Informed EMDR: Creative and Collaborative Approaches (pp. 63-77). Routledge.
Richardson, M. (2025). Phase 2.5 Discovery: Working With Blended Protectors. In D. Polidi IFS-Informed EMDR: Creative and Collaborative Approaches (pp. 78-92). Routledge.
Schwartz, R.C. (2023). Introduction to Internal Family Systems Therapy. Boulder, CO: Sounds True.
Schwartz, R.C. & Sweezy, M. (2019). Internal Family Systems Therapy (2nd ed.). New York NY: Guilford Press.
Example Curriculum
Your Instructor
Bruce Hersey, LCSW, is an Approved Consultant in EMDR and also a Certified IFS Therapist & Consultant.
Having completed IFS Levels I, II & III Training, and as a repeat Level One Program Assistant, he has passionately imparted his deep understanding of the model by teaching numerous introductory IFS workshops, leading IFS consultation groups, and providing individual IFS consultation.
He has presented at the IFS International Conference several times, and has been teaching workshops on the integration of EMDR & IFS since 2013.
Additionally, Bruce has extensive experience in Clinical Hypnosis & Sex Therapy.
Contact Bruce for online consultation (zoom video) on the integration of EMDR and IFS, or toward certification in EMDR or IFS at $200 for a 45 minute session.
Continuing Education Information
EMDRIA: (EC provider #17025): Bruce Hersey (emdrifs.com) is an approved EMDRIA training provider and this workshop is approved for 3.5 EMDRIA CE.
IFS-Institute: this workshop is approved for 3.5 IFS Institute recertification credits.
NY SW Board: emdrifs.com LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0740.
NY MFT Board: emdrifs.com LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed marriage and family therapists #MFT-0116.
NY MHC Board: emdrifs.com LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors #MHC-0278.
NY PSY Board: emdrifs.com LLC is recognized by the New York State Education Department's State Board for Psychology as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed psychologists #PSY-0230. Approved for 3.5 Psychology CE Contact Hours.
NBCC ACEP: emdrifs.com, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7432. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. emdrifs.com, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.
ASWB ACE: emdrifs.com, LLC, provider #000, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. emdrifs.com, LLC maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 8/12/2026-8/12/2029.
Pricing
New Courses - New Bundle!
Check out two other all-new emdrifs.com courses!
or save $$, and double your access time - Purchase our New Courses Bundle.
The NEW COURSES BUNDLE includes Syzygy Model Full Session Demo: Healing Protectors (1.5 CE), Implicit IFS: Direct Access with the Part That Doesn't Know it's a Part (3.5 CE), & The Presence of Self Scale: For Resourcing Self-Energy & Finding Blended Parts (2.0 CE)
