NEW RELEASE // #1 BESTSELLER IN ITS CATEGORY

So often, addiction is viewed as a disease or an uncontrollable habit that signals a lack of willpower. In Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Addictions, the authors suggest a paradigm shift. Rather than viewing addiction as a pathology, they propose that it reflects the efforts of deeply entrenched protective parts with outmoded strategies, trapped in a desperate struggle to manage underlying emotional pain. 

Therapists will learn how to avoid clinical power struggles and to access their core, compassionate Self to collaborate with clients in befriending protective parts who engage in addictive processes; healing the vulnerable, wounded parts they protect; and restoring balance to their system.

Included inside:

• Experiential exercises to help clients (and therapists) get to know their own parts

• Guidelines for conducting assessments in an engaging, collaborative way

• Clear strategies for negotiating internal conflict and navigating polarizations between opposing parts

• Case examples annotated with step-by-step explanations

• Downloadable worksheets, handouts, and meditations 

“Therapists of all persuasions and levels of experience will find this manual useful. The construct of addictions is normalized, and the framework for dealing with them is neatly outlined. Placed in the hands of IFS therapists (new or experienced), the techniques are likely to be well-received by clients. The book is a welcome addition to IFS treatment, in general, and to the nexus between IFS and therapy for addictions, specifically.”

— Philip D. Armour, Editor, PARTS & SELF. Read the full review.

“In the midst of an overdose epidemic, we are past due for novel approaches to working with those with substance use disorders, and Internal Family Systems Therapy for Addictions does just that. This volume provides those who might not be familiar with IFS a thorough introduction. It also offers a unique lens for both conceptualizing substance use disorders and treating them, with numerous concrete tools and practical strategies that clinicians can employ. A must-read for anyone working in addictions.”

―J. Wesley Boyd, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and medical ethics, Baylor College of Medicine

“Until recent years, our understanding of addiction has been based on outdated and flawed assumptions―mainly that it’s either a disease or a result of a lack of willpower. The IFS approach to therapy offers both a new paradigm for understanding addictive behavior through a compassionate lens and an effective framework for treating it to create lasting change. This wonderful book provides an accessible manual to therapists who are interested in tackling addictive processes at their core using IFS. Internal Family Systems Therapy for Addictions is a timely and important contribution that is likely to change the narrative around addiction treatment.”

―Niall McKeever, founder of The Weekend University

In this skillfully curated collection, author and clinical editor Jenna Riemersma invites 30 leading IFS experts to discuss how to apply the transformative insights of the IFS model with a wide range of clients, communities and modalities. Cece is the co-author of the chapter “IFS and Addiction: Compassion for the Addictive Process.”

In the second chapter of Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy, Cece shares her view of working with addictive processes.

Sykes, C. C., (2016) "An IFS Lens on Addiction: Compassion for Extreme Parts," in Sweezy, M. and Zizkind, E.L., Innovations and Elaborations, New York, NY, Routledge, 2016.