Addiction and compulsive, repetitive behaviours using IFS
About the trainer
Liz Calvert Thompson MBACP, certified Level 3 IFS therapist and approved IFSI Clinical Consultant, Advanced (IFIO) Couples/Relationships is one of the most experienced IFS therapists in the UK. She is founder member of IFS UK.
Her IFS journey began in 2010 with a five-day IFS training with Richard Schwartz and then Level 1 in 2011. Liz fell in love with the model and has been developing and supporting the growth of IFS ever since, often assisting on IFS and IFIO trainings in the UK and Internationally.
She is also trained in Rogerian Counsellor BA (Hons), Hakomi (somatic body psychotherapy based in mindfulness), EMDR and clinical application of Polyvagal Theory. She worked for 11 years at a community addiction service with adolescents and adults as a therapist and case worker. Liz now has a private practice in York, sees clients, and runs workshops, supervision, groups and community and business workshops utilising IFS.
What is IFS?
IFS is more than a psychotherapeutic model it is also a paradigm shift and a way of seeing the world and the people in it.
Talking therapy alone, whilst enormously helpful, isn’t always enough to bring about lasting change. IFS is a powerfully transformative, evidence-based model of psychotherapy that works with the body, mind, and spirit. It is a gentle, respectful, extremely powerful approach to healing, offering a non-pathologising, relational model that works safely, deeply, and effectively.
IFS can be utilised with individuals, couples, families, and groups. Specialist training can be taken to use it with children, and IFS can be integrated into your existing modality and practice.
This workshop is designed for therapists interested in how IFS approaches and offers change and healing from addiction, and addictive and repetitive processes.
IFS helps individuals and their loved ones understand what is happening from a new perspective whilst offering hope and an invitation and model for change.
Addiction is often viewed as a disease or an uncontrollable habit that, if only someone had enough willpower or motivation, they could stop. Instead of viewing addiction as pathology, IFS approaches it with the view that addiction signifies the behaviour of parts that are trying to protect the system in some way, often managing or attempting to soothe or distract the person from trauma, underling unprocessed pain, relational and attachment wounding.
This workshop will provide:
- A brief overview of the IFS model.
- Explore how IFS (especially referencing Lead IFS Trainer Cece Sykes), views and applies IFS theory to addictive processes.
- Explore the protective system and how it applies to addiction.
- Explore common manager (Parts) behaviours and their fears in addictive systems
- Explore firefighters, how they behave and what they fear and hope for.
There will be experiential and small group processing opportunities to get a sense of IFS from the ‘inside out’.
There will be time for questions and interactions with Liz, you will see IFS come to life, from theory to practice, discovering new skills and interventions.
Each delegate is responsible for their self-care should the material at this workshop trigger difficult feelings.
If you are interested in attending this workshop, please contact Helen Brightwell on cpd4counsellors@gmail.com to book. Places are limited, and the investment is £95 for the day, which is non-refundable. A deposit of £50 is required to book and the final payment due is on 18th October 2024. Tea/coffee and biscuits will be provided.
Certificates will be given after the workshop to all attendees. Please note, this workshop is not a substitute for the IFS Institute Level 1, 2 or 3 trainings.