“Derek has an incredible grasp of the model and is a great teacher. He is a sensitive, engaging and highly skilled facilitator who both models and teaches Self-leadership. I recommend him.” – Dr. Richard Schwartz, Founder, Internal Family Systems
This course is open to Mental Health professionals who identify as Male and Gay
The goals for this course are for you:
- to be able to learn within the safety of a group where all of you is welcome
- to learn and understand the IFS model and be able to apply it to your own systems, your patients/clients and one another
- to be able to ask as many questions as you need and know where to go for further information
- to form peer support groups so that your practice can continue to evolve
- to be invigorated in your practice and to see remarkable and permanent changes in many of your clients
3 Hours
For our first meet we will say hello to each other and establish group guidelines. We will talk about the basics of the model, including the 3 types of parts we typically encounter in session, and introduce the concept of Self energy.
Subsequent week-1 topics will include: Working with Protectors, Therapist parts, Exploring your own system (parts map), Unburdening the exiles, and introducing the model to new clients, as well as introducing the model to existing clients.
The focus throughout the course will be on speaking for, not from your parts
I will then ask for a volunteer to be the subject of a demonstration and after the demonstration there will be time for questions and answers.
You will be invited to do your own work in the demonstrations; an IFS therapist needs to know their own system and that cannot be achieved from role-playing.
A 1 hour lecture reinforcing the teaching points from each didactic session will be emailed to participants
3 Hours
This will either be practice with your fellow learners or a supervised practice session. Week 2 and 3 alternate between these two ways of learning. If it is a supervised session You will be working with the HIPPA-compliant* Zoom video platform in groups of three or four. Each group will work with myself or another IFS therapist colleague who will supervise your work, offering suggestions where necessary.
The supervised sessions will be recorded and only your group will have access to the recording so that you may review your work if you choose.
You will each have an opportunity to work as therapist for up to 45 minutes, and as client, and as observer. There will be up to 15 minutes after each practice session for feedback.
*HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) A United States legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information.
3 hours.
This will either be practice with your fellow learners or a supervised practice session. Week 2 and 3 alternate between these two ways of learning. If it is a supervised session You will be working with the HIPPA-compliant* Zoom video platform in groups of three or four. Each group will work with myself or another IFS therapist colleague who will supervise your work, offering suggestions where necessary.
The supervised sessions will be recorded and only your group will have access to the recording so that you may review your work if you choose.
You will each have an opportunity to work as therapist for up to 45 minutes, and as client, and as observer. There will be up to 15 minutes after each practice session for feedback.
*HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) A United States legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information.
3 Hours
We will meet as a large group again and you will be invited to bring questions arising from your own practice and/or from learning the theory. We may choose to do a piece of work if you are feeling stuck with a particular client or using the model. We may explore your own parts getting triggered by clients to help you get clarity and possibly unburden a part of your own.
This is a good forum to get to know your therapist parts. Challenging issues like active suicidality, difficulty with unblending and working with trauma, addictions etc. may be brought here.
A 60 page Teaching Manual is included as part of the course as well as handouts on “How to Watch a Demo”, “How to do a Triad” and others.
You are invited to view the 10-part video series “IFS for Therapists” to enhance your learning during the course.
Required reading for the course is “Internal Family Systems Therapy Second Edition” by Richard C. Schwartz and Martha Sweezy available from the IFS Institute Bookstore.
Recommended reading includes: “Introduction to Internal Family Systems Therapy” also by Dick Schwartz and “Many Minds, One Self” by Dick Schwartz and Robert Falconer
In addition to reading I have developed annotated training videos: I hour sessions which have been edited to highlight choice points and illustrate where therapist parts have wanted to intervene.
There are many interesting articles on the resources page of my site and several will be recommended during the course.
The course is open to social workers, therapists, counsellors, coaches and other mental health professionals. To get the maximum benefit from this course it is preferable to be working 1:1 with people in a professional capacity.
The cost for the entire 4 Month course is USD $1,900 and is payable in advance – refunds will not be issued. Each 3 hour teaching/practice session will be recorded and the recordings will be made available only to participants; as will the didactic teachings and consultation groups. If you are unable to attend a day you will receive the session recording. The course will run with a minimum of 10 and as maximum of 20 participants.
Graduates of this course may choose to take the “Broader Clinical Applications for Healing the Whole Person” online course offered by the Adler Graduate Professional school in Toronto in order to receive the Certificate in Applied IFS Therapy. CLICK HERE for more information.
To see a complete IFS session please click the images below
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“Derek is a great teacher. He is a sensitive, engaging an highly skilled facilitator who both models and teaches Self-leadership”
“Derek created a safe and welcoming learning environment allowing for my own personal exploration as well as enhanced my sensitivity for all of my clients. I would highly recommend him.”
“Derek is a superb leader, bringing thoughtful insight and open-heartedness to his teaching. He offers compassionate guidance to help heal our wounds. I have learned a lot from Derek, emotionally and intellectually, and highly recommend him!”
“Derek’s skilled, measured facilitation created safety for experiential exploration, and allowed space for participants to share their own fresh insights with the group. I am better prepared to guide my clients. Highly recommended!”
“Derek Scott is a sensitive, bright highly skilled clinician, author, and workshop leader. I highly recommend Derek’s work; don’t give up an opportunity to work with him … you’ll be delighted you did!”