"Your Exile is Showing": Integrating Sandtray with Internal Family Systems Therapy. Issue 1 (18th November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Turns, Brie; Springer, Paul; Eddy, Brandon P.; Sibley, D. Scott
• Is Part Of: American journal of family therapy. Volume 49:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 74
• Page End: 90
• Publication Date: 2020-11-18
• Subjects: Family therapy -- internal family systems -- sandtray; Family psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Family Therapy; Marital Therapy; Family; Counseling; 616.8915605
• DOI: 10.1080/01926187.2020.1851617
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0192-6187

Abstract

Abstract: Internal family systems (IFS) therapy is an experiential model of therapy and views individuals as having numerous "parts" inside of them. These parts maintain a specific role in a client's life and fall under one of the three categories – managers, exiles, and firefighters. Due to the experiential aspect of IFS and the concept of blending, visualizing the parts inside of a client can become challenging at best and impossible, at worst. This article provides a framework for integrating sandtray therapy with IFS to help clients name, visualize, and see the progress of their parts.