Talk with Cece Sykes on Bringing IFS into Extreme Parts
Sep 21, 2019
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Cece Sykes, an IFS Senior Trainer with over thirty years in mental health, shares her insights on trauma and addiction. She delves into integrating Internal Family Systems therapy with family dynamics, emphasizing safe environments for healing. Cece recounts her experiences in culturally unique settings and the challenges faced as a lead trainer. The conversation also explores her personal journey with addiction and the intricacies of recovery, highlighting the importance of connection and gratitude in the therapeutic process.
Cece Sykes' personal history and early caregiving roles significantly shaped her therapeutic approach towards trauma and addiction.
The integration of Internal Family Systems in her practice allows clients to navigate their inner landscapes, promoting emotional healing through self-understanding.
Deep dives
C. Sykes' Journey into Mental Health
C. Sykes entered the mental health profession at a young age, majoring in social work and being influenced by the progressive social workers of her high school. Her motivation stemmed from the societal movements of the late 60s and early 70s, which emphasized social change and community involvement. Additionally, her upbringing as the oldest of six children in a household with an overwhelmed mother conditioned her to take on caregiving responsibilities early, aligning her naturally with the role of a therapist. This personal and professional journey showcases how personal history can shape one's approach to therapy and the choice of specialization.
Impact of Family Systems on Therapy
Sykes developed her therapeutic approach through family systems thinking, recognizing the significant impact of generational issues and family dynamics on individual behavior. Her exposure to the realities of trauma and abuse in families, particularly through her work in community mental health, deepened her understanding of how external contexts could shape a person's inner experience. Sykes noted that despite the trauma often being present, her focus was on building resilience through acknowledging strengths within families. This systemic approach allowed her to create a safe environment for clients, fostering healing and connection amidst complex emotional backgrounds.
Integration of IFS in Clinical Practice
Sykes' integration of Internal Family Systems (IFS) into her practice came after a substantial period of traditional therapy work, enhancing her capacity to understand and treat complex client issues. While initially skeptical, her training in IFS provided her with tools to navigate the nuanced inner landscapes of her clients, especially those dealing with trauma and addiction. She emphasized the importance of recognizing both firefighter and manager roles within clients, noting that understanding these dynamics could facilitate deeper emotional healing. By helping clients differentiate from their inner critics and harmful coping mechanisms, Sykes found a pathway to promote healthier self-relationships.
Challenges and Learning in Training
As a lead trainer in IFS, Sykes faced the challenge of balancing training content while ensuring that emotional safety was prioritized in the classroom. Her experience taught her that the emotional needs of participants often required immediate attention, particularly when engaging with vulnerable material during demonstrations. She articulated the importance of processing parts that emerge during training sessions, acknowledging how critical it is for both trainers and participants to manage their emotional landscapes in a group setting. Sykes expressed her desire for a training environment that focuses more on licensed clinicians, emphasizing the unique skills and approaches needed in clinical versus non-clinical settings.
This is an IFS Talk with Cece Sykes, an IFS Senior Trainer, US and international. She has Contributed to Levels 1 and 2 IFS training manuals and teaches L1 as well as L2 Trauma and Addiction. Cece has over thirty years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples and families, specializing in work with the effects of trauma and addiction. Her chapter on compassionate approaches to addictive process appears in IFS: Innovations and Elaborations. Cece also has special interests in spiritual practices intersecting with therapy and in the impact of psychotherapy upon the life of the therapist and she lectures, consults and leads workshops on all of these topics. Cece lives and works in the city of Chicago.