Internal Family Systems Faces Growing Skepticism

A column examines Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy's rising popularity and thin evidence base, noting developer Richard Schwartz originated it in the 1980s and a small 2013 study in rheumatoid arthritis. It highlights IFS's appeal—'no bad parts' fostering self-compassion—while warning of risks like false memories, destabilization for reality-testing patients, and lack of randomized controlled trials.