Dr. John Vervaeke
Engaging the Imaginal: Kasra Mirzaie on IFS and the Meaning Crisis
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Validating parts in IFS sets the stage for transformative engagement rooted in agape love.
- Pathologizing everything raises concerns in adolescence, emphasizing the need for comprehensive understanding.
- Integrating attachment theory with IFS involves forming relationships with parts before Socratic shifts.
- Acknowledging ethical boundaries while employing therapeutic techniques like the Socratic shift is crucial.
- Engaging phenomenological perspectives in bioethics provides a holistic understanding of health and illness.
Deep dives
The Significance of Agape in Healing and the Role of Validating Before Socratic Shifting
The healing momentum in therapies like IFS is rooted in agape love, a deep form of love. Before engaging in the Socratic shift within IFS processes, it is crucial to validate the part being worked with. Validation acknowledges the validity and reason for the part's existence, fostering a sense of being seen and acknowledged, preparing the groundwork for deeper transformative engagement.
Challenges in Pathologizing and the Importance of Pedagogical Approaches Over Strict Therapy
The tendency to pathologize everything, particularly in adolescence, raises concerns about the overdiagnosis of individual idiosyncrasies. Engaging in pedagogical efforts rather than strictly turning to therapy allows for a more comprehensive approach to understanding and supporting individuals without jumping to a pathological lens.
The Interplay Between Socratic Shifts and Attachment Relationships in IFS Practice
Integrating attachment theory with IFS processes involves forming attachment relationships with parts, similar to Emotion-Focused Therapy techniques, before attempting the Socratic shift. Validating parts' existence and functions, recognizing their self-awareness, and fostering responsibilities within them are essential precursors to effective Socratic shifts.
Navigating the Ethical Boundary Between Therapeutic Technique and Pedagogical Approach in Healing Practices
While the use of therapeutic techniques like the Socratic shift within healing practices such as IFS adds depth and transformative potential, it is also vital to acknowledge ethical boundaries. Balancing techniques with pedagogical approaches promotes a comprehensive understanding and support framework without stepping into the realm of therapy.
Reflections on Phenomenology's Return in Bioethics and Its Implications for Medicine
The resurgence of phenomenology in bioethics, exemplified by thinkers like Frederick Svenails, highlights a shift towards understanding illness as an unhome-like being in the world. By integrating phenomenological perspectives, medicine can embrace a more holistic and relational approach, emphasizing the experiential and meaningful dimensions of health and healing.
Exploring Meaningful Anthropological Perspectives in Healing Practices and Medical Ethics
Engaging with anthropological perspectives within healing practices and medical ethics provides a deeper understanding of the human condition beyond pathologizing. Embracing human richness and complexities helps mitigate the dehumanization prevalent in modern scientific frameworks, fostering holistic and authentic approaches to health and well-being.
The Role of Validation and Agape Love in Socratic Shifting Within Healing Practices
Before employing Socratic shifting techniques in healing practices like IFS, validating the parts' existence and functions is crucial. Validating parts sets the stage for a compassionate and transformative engagement, rooted in agape love, which enhances the effectiveness and depth of the therapeutic process.
Exploring the Role of IFS in Addressing the Meaning Crisis
The podcast episode delves into the significance of Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy in navigating the meaning crisis individuals face. It discusses how IFS, through its imaginal aspects and emphasis on relationality, can aid in restoring individuals' true humanity and balancing the creative tension between finitude and transcendence. The conversation emphasizes the need for IFS to be embedded within a broader sapiential framework with a focus on how the 'how' of therapy is conducted, rather than just the 'what' of the techniques used. Additionally, it explores the potential of IFS to facilitate deep healing when approached in a holistic manner.
Rethinking Ultimate Reality and Spiritual Maturity
The podcast episode contemplates the nature of Ultimate Reality and the concept of God, challenging traditional perspectives through philosophical and spiritual lenses. It introduces various thinkers like Robert Carter, Shellingberg, and James Filler, who prompt reflections on the beyondness of God and the importance of deep humility in exploring spiritual inquiries. Central themes include the reinterpretation of Ultimate Reality as relational rather than substance-based, inspired by neo-Platonism, and discussions on how spiritual maturity as a species could lead to a more profound understanding of Ultimate Reality. The episode invites listeners to consider a shared approach to Ultimate Reality that transcends religious boundaries and contributes to addressing the contemporary meaning crisis.
In this episode of ”Voices with Vervaeke,” John Vervaeke continues his ongoing exploration of Internal Family Systems (IFS) theory with psychotherapist, clinician, and researcher Kasra Mirzaie. Kasra shares his insights into the cognitive, existential, and spiritual aspects of IFS, highlighting its potential to help individuals make sense of their inner conflicts, regulate emotions, and resolve developmental psychopathology. With a focus on dialectic, mythos, and serious play, Kasra explains how IFS can help individuals forge and come into contact with different aspects of their being and identity, promoting healing and transformation. Throughout the conversation, John and Kasra explore the philosophical and spiritual dimensions of IFS and how it can be integrated with other therapeutic approaches to promote participatory knowing, self-transcendence, and a deeper understanding of the self. Delving into poignant examples and transformative insights, the conversation illuminates the profound impact of embracing our multiplicity through IFS, offering listeners a pathway to understanding and healing that transcends traditional therapeutic boundaries.
Guest Bio and Links:
Kasra Mirzaie is a psychotherapist, researcher, and educator with a focus on emotion regulation and developmental psychopathology. Kasra brings a unique perspective to the discussion, combining clinical experience with a deep interest in philosophical psychology and meaning-making processes.
Join our new Patreon:
John Vervaeke | Responding to The Meaning Crisis with The Vervaeke Foundation
Voices with Vervaeke: Wisdom Through the Imaginal: IFS Insights with Seth Allison Part 3
Chronic Pain, Trust, and Ethics: A Conversation with Terri Dentry and Nate Kinch
Many Minds, One Self: Evidence for a Radical Shift in Paradigm - Richard C. Schwartz
Phenomenological Bioethics: Medical Technologies, Human Suffering, and the Meaning of Being Alive - Fredrik Svenaeus
Thomas Fuchs:
In Defence of the Human Being: Foundational Questions of an Embodied Anthropology
Ecology of the Brain: The phenomenology and biology of the embodied mind (International Perspectives in Philosophy and Psychiatry)
Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy: Awareness, Breath, Resonance, Movement, and Touch in Practice--Endorsed by top experts in therapeutic healing modalities - Susan McConnell
Simurgh: A Journey in Search of the Truth - Azar Aryanpour
Quotes:
“My take on IFS is that it's actually a model of the living, in self-organizing psyche that is composed of living things. Those interact with each other in a certain qualitative space and relationship that we would call the self.” - Kasra Mirzaie [00:05:09]
“The body is really fundamental to keeping us anchored to the world... if we train the mind to properly listen, it can act as a significant counterbalance to spiritual bypassing and hubristic self-deception." - John Vervaeke, paraphrasing Merleau-Ponty [01:13:45]
Glossary of Terms:
Internal Family Systems (IFS): A therapeutic approach that recognizes and addresses multiple sub-personalities or parts within each individual.
The Imaginal: A concept referring to a creative and transformative space that goes beyond mere imagination, facilitating deep healing and self-discovery.
Chapters:
[00:00:00] - Introduction to Kasra Mirzaie: Insights into Psychotherapy, Research, and IFS
[00:08:18] - Enhancing Self-Awareness: Salience, Perspective-Taking, and the Journey Within
[00:17:38] - Bridging Kant and Vervaeke: Participatory Knowing and the Self in IFS
[00:30:29] - Mythos and Identity: Cultural Echoes and the Role of the Imaginal in Healing
[00:42:43] - IFS and Modern Psychotherapy: Addressing Mental Health and Meaning
[00:53:29] - Socratic Integration in IFS: Bridging Reflection and Healing Within a Pedagogical Framework
[01:07:13] - Addressing Self-Deception in IFS: Integrating Embodiment and Community Feedback
[01:14:42] - Conclusion: Reflecting on IFS, Philosophy, and the Journey Ahead
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