Will my IFS Intensive feel “too intense”?

Internal family systems therapy intensives (worldwide + online)

If you’ve landed on this blog post, it’s likely that you’re already exploring an Internal Family Systems Therapy Intensive. And also likely that you have some parts with questions about the approach and how it feels, which makes absolute sense! You’re in the right place…

In this blog post I am going to walk you through some of the common concerns new clients have when embarking on their first IFS therapy intensive (which is often, their first therapy intensive at all).

IFS Therapy Intensives

Internal Family Systems Therapy lends itself beautifully to the Intensive model of healing.

do I have to already do ifs therapy to benefit from an IFS Intensive?

Not at all.

While many people do come with Internal Family Systems in mind when they approach me for an intensive, many people come simply looking for a deeper solution and to help themselves get past a particular block, trauma or to get ready for a big life change.

is an ifs therapy intensive ‘too intense’ and will it leave me feeling discombobulated or very upset?

Intensives ARE intense, because we will be thoroughly focused on you and your challenges, goals and parts for much longer stretches of time than a typical ‘therapy hour’.

However, IFS remains an incredibly respectful and gentle modality which never wants to shock or bypass any part of your system. As a result, IFS intensives should feel rich, deep and transformative but as your therapist, I will attune to your needs throughout and you should leave your experience feeling lighter, more hopeful and having experienced many beautiful healing moments.

I do highly recommend that clients try and clear the time around their intensive so that they can conserve energy levels and maximise the impact of this focused time. This can look like booking in other forms of self care, making time for movement and nutritious food, and delegating tasks to other family members at home or colleagues at work.

Can i do my IFS therapy intensive from anywhere? Do I need anything special to do my own intensive?

Absolutely! Most of my therapy intensives take place online which means my clients get to choose how and where to experience them. As part of the pre-Intensive preparation, I encourage clients to think about clothes that they will be comfortable in, food that will be nourishing and maybe even a change of scene to a place with fewer distractions.

For example, one trend I have noticed is the numbers of mums who want to do their IFS Intensive at a hotel or Airbnb so that they can tune out of daily life and its distractions for a few days and really focus on themselves and their healing.

Other people set up a cosy space in their homes, with cushions and blankets and candles. The Danish concept of Hygge and IFS Intensives definitely make a great pairing.

I do occasionally offer retreat style, in-person intensives at locations in SE Asia. If you are interested in discussing one of these bespoke options (subject to availability), then send me an email at lucy@lucyorton.com.

Your IFS Intensive Therapy Programme can be tailored to your needs, location and goals.

Would i be better off just doing the same hours, but in weekly sessions?

This is a very personal decision. But if you’ve been considering an intensive rather than weekly therapy, in my experience, it’s worth further exploration and a free consult to see if it makes sense for you.

Some clients love the regularity of weekly sessions, they use their therapy time as a regular chance to address issues, decompress, heal, access much-needed self-care and much more.

Yet for some clients, due to the season of life they are in, the experiences they need to process and heal from or their schedule (travel, parenting, work commitments), weekly therapy can feel like it’s not the right fit. Recent clients have included those who follow unpredictable working schedules and those who have young children and want to take time out from their frantic day-to-day to focus on themselves fully.

Another consideration in favour of the Intensive model, versus weekly therapy, is the way in which the maths doesn’t quite add up… in a good way! Clients report that without the need to catch the therapist up, take long breaks between sessions or spend time getting into the healing ‘zone’, they are able to make extremely deep and rapid progress, in far fewer hours.

Myself and fellow intensive practitioners have noticed that, for example, 3 days of 3 hours’ worth of intensive therapy can allow for the kind of transformation and breakthroughs we normally wouldn’t see until months and months of regular weekly therapy had taken place.

how do I find out more?

Firstly you can look here to read more about the process and the costs for taking part in an IFS intensive therapy experience.

For all therapy, it’s crucial that the fit between client and therapist is a good one. For an IFS Therapy Intensive, this is perhaps even more important, as we will be spending a sizeable block of time together. So I always insist that people book a free consult to learn more about me, my work and the process in detail, before I book anyone on an intensive.

Also, as I work globally, we may need to get creative about timezones and there is sometimes a waiting list before my next intensive slot becomes available. You can click on the button below to book your free call - please state you are interested in an Intensive on the form.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Feel free to check out more information on IFS Intensives here before you book your free consultation.

Warmly,

Lucy Orton

MSc, DipCouns, IFS Therapist + Coach