IFS Talks

Paul Ginter is a licensed psychologist who serves as the Clinical Director for IFS Telehealth Collective, bringing more than 30 years of experience in Internal Family Systems. Working closely with IFS developer Richard Schwartz, Paul is an IFS Senior Lead Trainer for over 15 years,  who has traveled the globe training professionals on nearly every continent, China and Bali as well. 

Paul also has this new project called IFS Telehealth Collective (IFS-TC) - an online IFS supportive community and group practice  that you can find at this website: 

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Martha Sweezy grew up in Cambridge, MA. Her mother, Nancy Sweezy, was instrumental at the legendary folk music venue Club 47, revived and managed Jugtown Pottery in North Carolina, founded Refugee Arts Group to work with refugees from Southeast Asia and was finally awarded a National Heritage Fellowship by the NEA for her work in traditional arts.

Martha is an assistant professor, part time, in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a consultant at Cambridge Health Alliance and a psychotherapist in private practice in Northampton, MA.

After using psychodynamics, DBT and EMDR with severely traumatized individuals in community mental health for more than 18 years, she discovered internal family systems therapy (IFS) and became fascinated with the response of clients, not to mention with her own experience (IFS training is experiential). When she had gone through all the levels of training on offer she began to write about her clinical experiences and published two articles on IFS in peer reviewed journals. Then, with Ellen Ziskind, she invited some master IFS clinicians to articulate their applications of the model and published two co-edited volumes.

Martha also teamed up with Toni Herbine-Blank and Donna Kerpelman to write a book on IFS couple therapy entitled Intimacy from the Inside Out: Courage and Compassion in Couple Therapy. More recently she co-authored a manual on IFS with Frank Anderson and Richard Schwartz, and co-authored a 2nd edition of Dr. Schwartz’s first book on IFS, Internal Family Systems Therapy, 2nd edition, which includes over 70% new material. She remains as impressed and charmed by IFS today as she was when she first saw a video of Dr. Schwartz in session in 2006.

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Michael Mithoefer, MD is a Clinical Investigator and acting Medical Director of MAPS Public Benefit Corporation. He and his wife, Annie, completed the first phase 2 clinical trial of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in 2009 and a subsequent study of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD in military veterans, firefighters and police officers. They are now supervising therapists in the ongoing MAPS Phase 3 trials of MDMA-assisted Psychotheapy for PTSD, leading trainings in MDMA- assisted psychotherapy for therapists interested in working on clinical trials, and providing FDA-approved MDMA sessions for research therapists. He is Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina, is a Grof certified Holotropic Breathwork Practitioner, has been a Certified Internal Family Systems Therapist, and has been board certified in Psychiatry, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine.

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Robert Falconer has an undergraduate degree in cultural anthropology, with a focus on the history of religions.In the early 1980s he pursued his masters degree in psychology while balancing a career in construction and real estate investment.When Robert started as a therapist, he focused on the work of Milton Erickson and hypnotherapy. He then moved into working with Jack and Helen Watkins; who developed ego state therapy. In his career as a therapist, Robert spent considerable time at the Esalen Institute and decades involved in gestalt therapy. Robert has been familiar with IFS therapy for 20 years, but completely devoted himself to the model for the last 10 years. Most recently Robert co-authored with Dick Schwartz a book entitled “Many Minds, One Self:evidence for a radical shift in paradigm“

In this episode, based in his long experience with addictions, Bob integrates IFS and 12 steps approach. 

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Janina Fisher, PhD is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and Instructor at the Trauma Center, an outpatient clinic and research center founded by Bessel van der Kolk. Known for her expertise as both a therapist and consultant, she is also past president of the New England Society for the Treatment of Trauma and Dissociation, an EMDR International Association Credit Provider, a faculty member of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, and a former Instructor, Harvard Medical School. Dr. Fisher has been an invited speaker at the Cape Cod Institute, Harvard Medical School Conference Series, the EMDR International Association Annual Conference, University of Wisconsin, University of Westminster in London, the Psychotraumatology Institute of Europe, and the Esalen Institute. Dr. Fisher lectures and teaches nationally and internationally on topics related to the integration of research and treatment and how to introduce these newer trauma treatment paradigms in traditional therapeutic approaches.

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Michelle Glass is a level three Certified IFS Practitioner, Alternative Counselor*, and SoulCollage® Facilitator in Eugene, Oregon. She is the author of the well-received book, Daily Parts Meditation Practice©: A Journey of Embodied Integration for Clients and Therapists and provides DPMP workshops at the Annual IFS Conference and around the world, as well as offers support for those wanting to work with the tools of the DPMP process.

Having over 15 years of experience with the IFS Model and learning it first from the inside out, Michelle brings a palpable nature of a Self-led / mostly-unburdened system to the world. Becoming acquainted with her parts through healing from a childhood of complex trauma, she like Dick, is “a crusader for the personhood of parts.” Her IFS healing journey and Dick’s interest in her tools birthed the DPMP process. 

She loves bringing the gifts of intimately knowing her own system to facilitate others, especially therapists and practitioners, in doing so. Her private practice the Listener, LLC, has always been online enabling her to see clients around the world and she maintains a lengthy waitlist. Additionally, Michelle is the editor of the Foundation for Self Leadership's magazine, OUTLOOK. 

She has greatly enjoyed expanding her world-wide circle of colleagues and friends through these positions. She is currently on a writing sabbatical to complete her next book which will take readers through a felt sense of a highly-blended system with little access to Self to that of a mostly-unburdened Self-led system. 

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Frank Anderson, MD, completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He is both a psychiatrist and psychotherapist and specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation. He is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy. Dr. Anderson is a lead trainer at the IFS Institute with Richard Schwartz and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for, Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center. He serves as an advisor to the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP) and was the former chair and director of the Foundation for Self-Leadership.  Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the neurobiology of PTSD and dissociation. He co-authored the Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual. Dr. Anderson maintains a private practice in Concord, MA, and is one of the most respected and internationally-known Internal Family Systems lead trainers available.

In this episode Frank shares how becoming a father brought him into the IFS model, and many more ideas and perspectives on parenting while putting together a parenting curriculum through IFS lens.

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Chris Burris, LPC, LMFT, is a IFS Senior Lead Trainer for the IFS Institute. He has been an IFS Therapist since 1999 and is trained as a Marriage and Family Therapist. He utilizes mind/body approaches of therapy in alleviating traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety disorders. He has worked extensively with couples, families, teenagers, and children. He is currently in Private Practice in Asheville North Carolina.

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Ruth Culver is an Internal Family Systems Therapist based in Brighton, UK. Ruth says it felt like ‘coming home’ when she came across IFS a few years ago, and the model is now at the core of all her work.  She loves facilitating groups and has adapted two somatic processes - Constellations, and Intuitive Drawing - to fully incorporate all the steps of IFS.  Her infographic called ‘The Survive/Thrive Spiral’ - which maps Polyvagal Theory alongside Internal Family Systems - went viral earlier this year.  She presented her work at the 2019 London Trauma Conference and the 2020 Online Embodiment Conference, and is currently writing a paper for a new Complex Trauma Journal.

Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks

Susan is a Lead Trainer for IFS Institute since the early days, and helped Richard Schwartz to develop the model all along the way. Susan just published a book on Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy: Awareness, Breath, Resonance, Movement and Touch in Practice -  North Atlantic Books.