An Internal Family Systems approach to eating disorders
Working on healing from an eating disorder can feel endlessly challenging. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy offers a gentle yet transformative approach to uncover and address the emotional roots of these struggles.
IFS sees your inner world as a natural system of parts, each with its own feelings, and motivations. These parts, while sometimes conflicting, all share a common goal: protecting you. Working with a dietitian who is IFS informed can help you understand and harmonize these parts, creating space for healing.
Here are three ways to use IFS with your dietitian to deepen your journey:
1. Get to Know Your Parts with Curiosity
In IFS, parts of you might have developed habits around food as a way to cope with emotions or stress. For instance:
- One part might set rigid rules about food to feel in control.
- “I can only eat after 11 am”
- “I can’t have any drinks with calories in them”
- Another might push you towards binging to tolerate really uncomfortable emotions
- Another part might lead to behaviors such as purging, chewing and spitting, or laxative use
With your dietitian, you can explore these parts without judgment. For example, instead of trying to silence the part that urges you to binge, you might ask: What is this part trying to protect me from? This compassionate curiosity helps you uncover the deeper needs driving your behaviors.
2. Strengthen Your Self-Leadership
IFS teaches that we all have a core “Self” — a calm, curious, and compassionate leader within us. Self-leadership is key to building a more peaceful relationship with food.
Your dietitian can guide you to tap into this Self-energy, helping you approach your parts with understanding rather than criticism. For instance, when a part wants to engage in eating disorder behaviors, you might learn to say, I see you’re trying to help me. Let’s figure this out together. This shift can reduce inner conflict and empower you to make choices that align with your values.
3. Collaborate on Practical Changes
IFS isn’t just about emotions — it also helps you make practical changes. By working with your dietitian:
- You can identify patterns and triggers connected to your eating habits.
- Together, you can co-create strategies that meet the needs of your parts while reducing self harm behaviors and allowing you to nourish your body.
Through this process, you begin to trust yourself to respond to your parts with care rather than reacting automatically.
A Path Toward Healing
Using IFS with your dietitian allows you to approach your eating challenges holistically, addressing not just what you eat but why and how you relate to food and your body. As you build trust and compassion within yourself, you’ll find greater freedom to nourish your body and mind in ways that truly serve you.
If you’re ready to explore IFS in your nutrition journey, reach out to a weight-neutral dietitian trained in this approach. Healing is possible — one step, one part at a time.
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