The Weekend University

IFS: Healing Parts and Accessing Self in Recovery — Dr Richard Schwartz & Cece Sykes

Dec 5, 2025
In this engaging conversation, Richard Schwartz, the founder of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model, and Cece Sykes, an IFS Senior Trainer, delve into the intricacies of addiction from an IFS perspective. They discuss how addiction is rooted in parts of the self affected by trauma, exploring concepts like managers, firefighters, and exiles. The duo emphasizes the importance of curiosity as a gateway to healing and shares best practices for therapists. Their insights highlight the transformative power of self-compassion in recovery.
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INSIGHT

Addiction As Developmental Protection

  • Addictive processes are developmental responses to long‑standing pain, not moral failures.
  • IFS treats addiction as a system of parts developed to protect vulnerable exiles rather than as pathology to punish.
INSIGHT

The Managers‑Firefighters‑Exiles Map

  • IFS maps three roles: exiles, managers and firefighters that interact systemically.
  • When protectors relax, exiles can be healed and parts return to their naturally valuable state.
INSIGHT

Self Emerges When Blockers Release

  • The Eight Cs (curiosity, compassion, calm, clarity, etc.) signal Self-energy but efforting them can produce self‑like parts.
  • Removing blockers so Self naturally emerges is more effective than forcing qualities.
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