Full Healing with Internal Family Systems: A Conversation with Dr. Frank Anderson

Dr. Frank Anderson is a psychiatrist and psychotherapist. He completed his residency and was a clinical instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He specializes in the treatment of trauma and dissociation and is passionate about teaching brain-based psychotherapy and integrating current neuroscience knowledge with the IFS model of therapy.

Dr. Anderson is the vice chair and research director of the Foundation for Self Leadership.

He is a lead trainer at the Center for Self Leadership and maintains a long affiliation with, and trains for Bessel van der Kolk’s Trauma Center in Brookline MA.

Dr. Anderson has lectured extensively on the Neurobiology of PTSD and Dissociation and wrote the chapter “Who’s Taking What” Connecting Neuroscience, Psychopharmacology and Internal Family Systems for Trauma in Internal Family Systems Therapy-New Dimensions. He co-authored a chapter on “What IFS Brings to Trauma Treatment in Innovations and Elaborations in Internal Family Systems Therapy” and recently co-authored the book “Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual.”

Dr. Anderson maintains a private practice in Concord, MA, and serves as an Advisor to the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP). 

In this conversation, we talk about Internal Family Systems, how it works, and what’s different about it, the importance of doing your own personal work as a clinician, the impact of trauma, and the ways in which IFS dovetails with psychedelic therapy. 

What You Will Learn: 

• The foundational principles of Internal Family Systems Work and how they differ from traditional psychotherapeutic approaches
• The difference between empathy and compassion 
• Why anybody working with trauma must do their own healing work. It’s the U-Turn Baby!
• How to navigate the challenging reality that trauma blocks love and love heals trauma with the understanding that permanent healing is available to all
• How Frank and the thought leaders at IFS are engaging with psychedelic medicine

Resources:

Frank's Website

Internal Family Systems Website