Purely IFS with Emma and Gayle

About Purely IFS with Emma and Gayle

Purely IFS is for you if you are a mental health professional who is transitioning to using the Internal Family Systems model with clients. Hosted by IFS psychotherapists Gayle Williamson and Emma Redfern, this show aims to support IFS beginners by offering clarity and discussion on the various aspects of the model and the key skills. We're also hoping that you'll get many useful additions to your IFS vocabulary and that our podcast will keep you engaged with learning this amazing approach. We put the emphasis on working as a 'pure' IFS therapist because IFS is a complete approach - it gives you just about everything you would ever need as a therapist. Combining it with other approaches not only makes it harder for beginners to master but dilutes the transformational power of what IFS offers. Join us each episode for stimulating and educational conversations.

Publisher

Gayle Williamson and Emma Redfern

Category

education · health & fitness

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

27 Nov 2023

Latest episode

16 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

19 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Jul 2026

   IFS and parenting

   Send us Fan Mail Today we're talking parenting, because if there's one thing that will trigger parts, it is having children! We explore the impact of intergenerational trauma and what can drive the often very strong urge to become a parent. We also cover what parts-led versus Self-led parenting looks like, as well as the importance for children of their parents being able to take responsibility for their own parts. We hope the episode, which includes case examples, will help therapists ...

2. 

   3 Mar 2026

   Ep 18: Being aware of our own parts: a case example

   Send a text In this episode, we roleplay a case example from Gayle's supervision group that highlights the importance of specific IFS supervision if you're practising as an IFS therapist. The therapist in question was having trouble using the model with a client who has suffered several losses, and when Tina 'went inside' she discovered there was a very good reason for this. **Thanks to Tina (not her real name) for allowing us to spotlight this work for this episode! We also give a role...

3. 

   29 Dec 2025

   Episode 17: Legacy Burdens part two: case study

   Send us a text IN PART TWO of our focus on Legacy Burdens, we detail fascinating work with client *Jo, where legacy work was the last piece in the jigsaw to help resolve stuckness in her career. It involves Jo connecting to her dead father and grandmother - so you might wish to reassure any sceptical parts that come up that this is entirely normal in this kind of work! *Not her real name. The client has given permission for the case material to be used. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred)...

4. 

   23 Dec 2025

   Episode 16: Legacy Burdens: part one

   Send us a text IN THE first of two episodes focusing on Legacy Burdens, Emma and Gayle talk about the many benefits of learning this fascinating aspect of the IFS model. We discuss what exactly they are, how you might spot them and discuss the bigger picture in terms of their effects on wider society. Be sure to join us again after Christmas for part two where we go into detail with a case study. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherap...

5. 

   21 Jun 2025

   What change looks like in IFS therapy: part 2

   Emma E Redfern MBACP explores the pressures to change that clients and therapists face in IFS therapy, including constraint release and connecting with parts between sessions.

6. 

   2 Jun 2025

   What change looks like in IFS therapy

   Emma and Gayle explore the concept of change within Internal Family Systems therapy, addressing expectations, possibilities, and the driving forces behind it, while also considering client self-reports.

7. 

   16 Apr 2025

   Practising ethically as an IFS therapist

   Send us a text IN this episode, we look at the ethical aspects of working as an IFS therapist. It's a very different way of working, so the psychotherapy profession's existing, mono-minded ethical framework inevitably will not cover everything for the IFS professional. It's an important topic for those transitioning to IFS, and we cover issues around the therapeutic relationship, the therapeutic contract and IFS therapist responsibilities... as well as giving our take on the drama Adolescence...

8. 

   3 Feb 2025

   Episode 12: the step-back process

   Send us a text In today’s episode, we’re focusing on the process of asking parts to step back. It's a part of the protocol that often causes a lot of uncertainty, about when to ask parts to step back, whether this was the right decision or not, or whether the part should have become the new target part instead. We talk about many of the different aspects of the step back process, give some case examples, and focus in on the language options - with particular focus on the difference betw...

9. 

   26 Nov 2024

   How IFS equips us as therapists and supervisors

   IFS experts Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) and Gayle Williamson MIACP explore how the IFS model equips therapists and supervisors with the skills to navigate complex client relationships and achieve meaningful work.

10. 

    30 Sept 2024

    Working with polarisations: Part two

    Send us a textIN part two of our focus on polarisations we look at polarisations involving more than two parts, polarisations across systems, eg, between client and therapist or parent and child; and addictive processes. We also discuss navigating conflicts in the wider world and how we can bring more Self to difficult conversations.*Details of the film we refer to: The Crisis in Gaza - Navigating difficult conversations: A Q&A with Dr Gabor Mate and Daniel Mate (available on the Science ...

11. 

    15 Aug 2024

    Working with polarisations

    After taking a break for summer, we're back with a new episode focusing on polarisations.Being able to detect relationships between parts, particularly parts who are fighting against each other, has lots of benefits - including reducing the inner conflict that many people experience as well as easing any stuckness a client may be experiencing in their life.We discuss what exactly polarisations are, and suggest a three-stage progression for how a therapist might develop their skills in working...

12. 

    20 May 2024

    Skilled Parts Detecting

    In today's episode, we’re focusing on parts detecting - a key IFS skill to develop  that is crucial to maintaining confidence and clarity in the work. We cover: - 'Universal truth' parts - The weaponising of parts - flexible thinking and not boxing parts in - examples of interesting parts detected - as well as a parts detecting test for listeners! Emma and Gayle also talk about the importance of therapist transparency, and of not claiming to offer IFS therapy if you are not actually detecting parts and using the protocols. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) . See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In. Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada, as well as various other shorter courses with senior IFS figures. She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners. See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further information, resources and Gayle's...

13. 

    22 Apr 2024

    How our parts affect our health: part two

    IN today's fascinating episode, the second of two on this topic, we're focusing on how parts affect our health, how our bodies affect our parts and how body sensations and illnesses can be approached as valuable trailheads. We discuss how there is no separation between mind and body; the concept of 'unwellness'; the ingenuity of dissociating parts; and the importance for some people at times of crisis in the body of having supportive body therapies alongside IFS sessions. However, we also make the point that the idea of 'somatic IFS' is redundant.. that actually, working with parts means you are inevitably always working with the body. Among several interesting case examples, we look at: - working with a part causing nosebleeds to stop anger; and - an example of a spiritual bypass that includes meeting a part causing low energy. **Sending appreciation and thanks to the clients who agreed to some of their case material being shared for this episode. Identifying details have been removed. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) . See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In. Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada, as well as various other shorter courses with senior IFS figures. She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners. See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further information, resources and Gayle's...

14. 

    12 Apr 2024

    How our parts affect our health

    IN today's fascinating episode, which is part one of two, we're focusing on how parts affect our health, how our bodies affect our parts and how body sensations and illnesses can be approached as valuable trailheads. Among several interesting case examples, Gayle describes: - helping a pregnant client talk to her baby - highlighting that we don't need to be afraid of working with so-called 'pre-verbal' parts; - working with a part that was causing frightening throat spasms; - working with parts causing 'OCD'-type behaviours; and - working with a part that caused a client to lose her voice. And Emma shares her insights on these cases as well as personal examples of how her own parts have impacted her health. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) . See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In. Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada, as well as various other shorter courses with senior IFS figures. She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners. See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further information, resources and Gayle's...

15. 

    7 Mar 2024

    Making the most of IFS supervision

    In today's episode, we're hoping to inspire therapists to embrace the variety that IFS brings to supervision. We cover a lot, including: ·       Examples of individual and group IFS supervision ·       Differentiating the role of the IFSI Approved Clinical Consultant and IFS supervision ·       The importance of regular supervision, e.g. when consciously transitioning to IFS ·       The different focus points/facets of IFS supervision ·       Working with Figuring Out parts and Drama Triangle parts You'll find details of the books and papers we make reference to in the show below, as well as other useful resources: Emma's books: Internal Family Systems Therapy: Supervision and Consultation - 1st Ed (routledge.com) (https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.routledge.com%2FInternal-Family-Systems-Therapy-Supervision-and-Consultation%2FRedfern%2Fp%2Fbook%2F9780367482640&data=04%7C01%7C%7C2f2a352a6ec2400b4cbb08d9ea1fb5a5%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637798244188144278%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000&sdata=Bf57Mmvmf0SaaqgygLM1ndXup2%2BzrPTrmJJ1lKv0UDc%3D&reserved=0); Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge) - Aisling McMahon, Ciaran Jennings & Gillian O’Brien (2022) A naturalistic, observational study of the Seven-Eyed model of supervision, The Clinical Supervisor, 41:1, 47-69, DOI: 10.1080/07325223.2021.2022060 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/07325223.2021.2022060 (https://doi.org/10.1080/07325223.2021.2022060) Upcoming CPD opportunity: Emma is presenting a series of workshops on the Drama Triangle on the online training platform, Online Events. Find out more information at  Onlinevents: Workshops with Emma Redfern | Eventbrite (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/onlinevents-workshops-with-emma-redfern-2761559) Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) . See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In. Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada, as well as various other shorter courses with senior IFS figures. She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners. See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further information, resources and Gayle's...

16. 

    7 Feb 2024

    Updating part 2: case example

    IN today's episode, it's part two of our focus on the updating process and meeting Self. We look at a fairly advanced case example in detail and go through it step by step. The case - involving Hazel**, and her parts Coco (an exile) and Storeen (a protector) - highlights the importance of persistence (one of the 5Ps of the therapist Self), and of being able to  differentiating between Self and a Self-like part. Other aspects we cover include: How to recognise the difference between compassion and empathy The need to be more directive as an IFS therapist Why parts hide Self A timeline of the work **With many thanks to the client who agreed to this content being shared. Her identity has been protected and Hazel is a pseudonym; Coco and Storeen are, however, the chosen names of her parts. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) . See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In. Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada, as well as various other shorter courses with senior IFS figures. She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners. See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further information, resources and Gayle's...

17. 

    15 Jan 2024

    Updating and meeting Self - part 1

    Today we focus on updating parts - a process that is much more than just telling a part your present day, adult age. There are many reasons why we do the update with protectors, but it's particularly helpful in negotiating a Self-to-part relationship. We describe various scenarios you often face during updating and provide a lot of the language around this, including case material on  handling protectors who dismiss the update information and a dominant figuring out protector who "knows" the client's current age. We also differentiate between the kind of updates that are available, highlighting: ·       Why the difference in age between the client and their parts matters ·       How the chronological age of the client doesn’t equate to Self ·       Differences in safety and resources now from in the past ·       The passage of time and how by meeting Self, protectors get to have options. There's going to be a part 2 to this topic in the next episode, which will look indepth at one case example. Client permission has been obtained for the case material we share. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) . See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In. Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada, as well as various other shorter courses with senior IFS figures. She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners. See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further information, resources and Gayle's...

18. 

    22 Dec 2023

    Taking the leap with direct access

    TRIGGER WARNING: We discuss how to talk to suicidal parts from around the 24-minute mark, but we don't go into any detail about a particular experience of suicide. On today's show, we discuss the vital skill of direct access, and in particular, what we call broadcast direct access. It's an aspect of direct access that doesn't get much talked about but is so valuable to learn. Essentially it's when a therapist speaks directly to the client's system as a whole or to a group of protectors, as opposed to talking to one protector at a time. Gayle shares two client cases to give some of the language around using broadcast direct access; and  Emma then offers valuable examples of how to negotiate with a protector urging suicide using explicit direct access. * Client permission has been obtained for the case material shared. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) . See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In. Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada, as well as various other shorter courses with senior IFS figures. She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners. See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further information, resources and Gayle's...

19. 

    27 Nov 2023

    Mastering IFS as a complete model

    On today's episode, we talk about why we wanted to do this podcast, why we think IFS is best used without integrating other approaches and explore what is meant by saying that IFS is a complete model. We also discuss: the mixed messaging about how IFS should be used. the benefits of knowing that IFS has just about everything you would need as a therapist or IFS practitioner. what is and isn't 'pure' IFS the need to temper expectations regarding how many of the healing steps we can use with certain clients, such as those with complex trauma. Emma E Redfern MBACP (Snr Accred) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. Emma is a certified IFS psychotherapist as well as approved IFS clinical consultant. She edited Internal Family Systems Therapy: supervision and consultation (2022, Routledge) and authored Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners (2023, Routledge). Her most recent publication, co-edited with Helen Foot, is Freeing Self: IFS Beyond the Therapy Room (2023) . See www.emmaredfern.co.uk for details of workshops and articles as well as books. You can also follow Emma on Linked In. Gayle Williamson (MIACP) initially trained in humanistic integrative psychotherapy. She took one of the alternative routes to IFS training now available, through IFSCA and the Adler College, Canada, as well as various other shorter courses with senior IFS figures. She works fulltime as a pure-IFS psychotherapist and also writes widely on mental health. Her most recent article 'The Myth of Mental Illness' is published in the latest IAHIP professional journal. Gayle runs small-group, online trainings and skills workshops for IFS beginners as well as group supervision. She also edited Emma's book, Transitioning to Internal Family Systems Therapy: A companion for therapists and practitioners. See www.ferneytherapy.ie for further information, resources and Gayle's...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

17 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

37

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

77

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