IFS Intuitive Drawing - IFS-ID
IFS Intuitive Drawing (IFS ID), as I use it, is based on my training with Ruth Culver. I first encountered Ruth Culver’s work in an IFS Healing Circle I participated in. During one of the sessions, someone who had taken courses with Ruth led an Intuitive Drawing exercise. It was love at first sight. However, I had no idea how profoundly this unique approach to using IFS would impact my connection with my own parts and benefit my clients.
Having completed Ruth’s training, I am eager to share the advantages of this distinctive IFS method with others. Though it is best experienced firsthand, I'll attempt to outline some of the benefits of IFS ID here:
The expression Intuitive Drawing might bring up the association of art therapy. There is no artistic skill required for IFS-ID. It is a somatically oriented process of mark making. We use the IFS protocol and invite parts to flow onto the paper, expressing themselves with scribbles, lines, and however they want to show up on the page. This encourages a direct and unfiltered expression of the part. One of the major benefits of IFS Intuitive Drawing is that parts naturally unblend by expressing themselves on the page. The ease and effortlessness of this way of unblending is astonishing. We know that parts need our attention. Allowing them to express themselves on the page, they communicate with us through their color, shape, position on the page, and the way the crayon marks are applied. We also listen to them internally and jot down short notes with a pen or pencil. This is a neurodiversity-friendly way of communicating with our parts. We tune in to different channels of information: sensations, emotions, and thoughts. We attune to our parts with all senses; we listen and connect deeply. While we stay connected to our internal experience, every part that shows up is allowed onto the page. This is a unique approach to doing IFS. The standard way of doing IFS is to follow a drill-down protocol. We see it demonstrated in demos, and it often works really well. However, there are quite a number of people with complex systems where we don’t get the desired results. Allowing multiple parts to show up on the page is like untangling a knot of strings. There is noticeable relief in our system when things get untangled; we gain insight and clarity, and our nervous system can relax. Having multiple parts on the page also allows us to see and address their relationships; internal dynamics become visible. We can ask them how they feel about each other and what their concerns are about other parts. There is a lot of valuable information available to us through the Intuitive Drawing approach when we work with multiple parts.When we zoom in on the communication with one part, we use the 6 F’s of the IFS protocol and the unburdening steps. We are still practicing regular IFS, helping parts trust in our Self-leadership and let go of their burdens. IFS Intuitive Drawing simply adds new dimensions to the way we do IFS. Having a physical representation of our parts on the page makes it easier to move back and forth between the resourceful state of Self-energy and the witnessing of difficult emotions or sensations of burdened parts. When we lose connection to a part, it’s also easier to reconnect. We can adjust the intensity certain parts or issues have on our system by changing the distance between us and the drawing. Last but not least, IFS Intuitive Drawing is easy to use on your own once you have the supplies and know-how. One of its major benefits is that, with a basic understanding of the process, it can be the primary method for working with your own parts or with peers without a therapist. Not everyone has access to therapy, and IFS-ID can be a trusted tool on the journey of Self-liberation. |
Please check out Ruth Culvers work at .calmheart.co.uk/
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