Depression is a complex, multifaceted mental health condition affecting millions of people worldwide. Unlike everyday sadness, depression is a persistent, heavy experience that can profoundly impact one’s thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and sense of self. Symptoms often include a deep sense of hopelessness, fatigue, isolation, low self-worth, and in some cases, a lack of motivation and interest in activities once enjoyed. For many, depression feels like an invisible weight, difficult to shake and harder to understand.
The Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach offers a unique and compassionate method for treating depression. Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, IFS therapy is a non-pathologizing, integrative model that sees the mind as naturally divided into multiple “parts,” each with its own perspective, emotions, and intentions. In IFS, these parts are thought to form an “internal family,” with each part playing a role in a person’s thoughts and emotions. By addressing the inner dynamics of these parts and cultivating a compassionate Self-leadership, IFS can help individuals understand and transform the inner conflicts that often underlie depression.
Depression typically stems from a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors. While each person’s experience of depression is unique, some common characteristics include:
Depression is often fueled by a harsh inner critic that judges, belittles, and invalidates. This self-critical voice can create a powerful inner conflict, where individuals feel torn between self-blame and an inability to break free from negative thinking.
Depression can also manifest as emotional numbness, where individuals feel detached from their feelings, goals, and even their relationships. This emotional shutdown may be a protective response, as the mind tries to avoid painful feelings or past traumas.
Many people with depression struggle with feelings of deep shame and low self-worth. These feelings are often rooted in past experiences or ingrained beliefs, creating a sense of hopelessness and unworthiness that can be difficult to shift.
Depression frequently results from unresolved pain or trauma, which may remain hidden and unprocessed in the subconscious mind. These painful emotions may be blocked or buried by protective mechanisms within the psyche, yet they continue to affect mood, energy, and perspective.
IFS views the mind as composed of different “parts,” each with its own thoughts, emotions, and motivations. These parts are categorized into three main types:
These are parts that carry pain, shame, fear, or trauma. Often, exiles are younger parts of ourselves that have experienced wounding and hold onto emotional memories of these painful experiences.
Protectors develop strategies to prevent the pain of exiles from surfacing. They include “managers” who try to control daily life and keep emotions in check, and “firefighters” who act impulsively to distract or numb painful feelings when they become overwhelming.
In IFS, Self is the compassionate, core part of every individual that embodies qualities like curiosity, calm, and connectedness. Self is not judgmental or critical and can provide healing, guidance, and leadership to the parts.
In depression, these parts may interact in ways that lead to internal conflict, self-criticism, and suppressed feelings. IFS therapy helps individuals get to know and understand these parts, allowing them to work with the depression in a transformative way. By fostering a compassionate relationship between the Self and the different parts, individuals can begin to release the pain and inner conflict driving the depression.
IFS therapy offers a structured, gentle, and compassionate way of working with depression by addressing the underlying emotional conflicts and protective mechanisms within the mind. Here are some key ways IFS can help:
Depression is often linked to exiled parts that carry pain, shame, or unresolved trauma. In IFS, the therapist helps clients approach these exiled parts with curiosity and compassion. By accessing these parts and allowing them to share their stories, clients can release the burden of past trauma or negative beliefs. This process often alleviates feelings of hopelessness and creates space for healing and self-acceptance.
Example:
A client may uncover an exiled part that feels ashamed or unworthy due to past criticism or rejection. By allowing this part to express its pain and witnessing it from a place of compassion, the client can begin to heal the wound that has been fueling feelings of inadequacy and depression.
In depression, protective parts may be overactive in their efforts to suppress painful feelings. These protectors, like the inner critic or the numbing “firefighter,” act with the intention of shielding the person from further emotional pain but can end up contributing to depressive symptoms. In IFS, clients learn to listen to and understand the motivations of these protectors without judgment, allowing them to release their defensive roles and adopt healthier strategies.
Example:
A client may have a strong inner critic that constantly judges and devalues them. Through IFS, the client can learn to interact with this inner critic, recognizing its protective function and helping it adopt a less harmful role. This understanding can reduce self-criticism and foster self-compassion.
One of the core goals of IFS is to cultivate Self-leadership, where the Self can take charge of the internal system rather than being dominated by individual parts. When individuals access the Self, they can approach their parts from a place of compassion, calm, and curiosity. This compassionate leadership creates a safe space for parts to heal, resulting in a decrease in depression symptoms and an increase in resilience and emotional balance.
Example:
As clients strengthen their connection to the Self, they develop a more compassionate outlook on themselves, seeing their parts as valuable but sometimes misguided allies. This compassionate self-leadership helps in reducing self-judgment and can create a more positive internal environment, alleviating depressive symptoms.
IFS helps individuals develop a compassionate and constructive inner dialogue. By giving each part a voice and allowing the Self to lead, clients can resolve inner conflicts that often drive depression. Through IFS, parts that previously argued or felt misunderstood can start to work together, fostering a sense of internal harmony and reducing the emotional strain associated with depression.
Example:
A person with depression may have parts that feel hopeless and parts that push them to work harder. This inner conflict can be exhausting. Through IFS, the person can acknowledge both parts, understanding their motivations and developing a more balanced approach to managing expectations and self-care.
One of the final stages in IFS therapy is called “unburdening.” This process involves helping parts release the emotional “burdens” they carry—such as fear, shame, or self-doubt—that have been weighing them down. When parts let go of these burdens, the individual can experience a renewed sense of lightness and clarity. Unburdening is particularly effective in depression treatment, as it allows clients to let go of the weight of past experiences and step into a freer, more hopeful state.
Example:
A client may realize that a part of them holds onto the burden of guilt from past mistakes. Through the IFS process, the client can help this part release the guilt, leading to increased self-forgiveness and a significant relief from depressive feelings.
IFS offers several benefits as a treatment for depression:
IFS is a non-pathologizing model that views all parts as having positive intentions, fostering a compassionate approach to depression.
By helping clients access their Self, IFS empowers them to take charge of their internal system, creating a sense of agency and hope.
IFS addresses the root causes of depression by working with the underlying parts and emotional burdens, promoting long-lasting change.
IFS is gentle and respects the client’s pace, making it particularly suitable for those who may feel vulnerable or resistant to intense emotional work.
Depression can feel like a formidable and isolating condition, but IFS therapy offers a compassionate, empowering path to healing. By approaching each part with curiosity, understanding, and love, IFS helps individuals untangle the complex web of emotions, self-beliefs, and inner conflicts that fuel depression. Through building a compassionate relationship with themselves and fostering Self-leadership, clients can gradually transform their inner world, paving the way toward resilience, hope, and well-being.
Insight Centre’s experienced Barrie therapist provides online IFS therapy to help you understand and heal the underlying causes of your depression. Through gentle and compassionate guidance, you can learn to connect with your inner parts and create a more harmonious and balanced inner world. Call +1 647-633-1928 to schedule a session and start your journey to recovery.
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