Internal Family Systems Therapy and Psychedelic Therapy
These are amongst the two most rapidly growing forms of therapy in a world, seemingly, increasingly, beset by mental illness of all kinds. Why are they growing? Because they work in circumstances where most other forms of therapy fail to find efficacy.
Additional to their independent growth, there is an increasing recognition that Internal Family Systems and Psychedelic therapy seems to complement each other very well. Thus, their combined use is growing as well.
Our guest for this episode of Adventures Through The Mind is Bob Falconer, whose work explores the intersection between IFS and psychedelics.
Robert “Bob” Falconer has been a therapist for some 40 years and has come to focus exclusively on IFS as he believes it is the most potent and respectful way of working he has found. Bob has been at many workshops and events with Richard Schwartz (the originator of IFS) both as an assistant and participant. In addition to studying with many of the other senior IFS trainers, He also co-authored a book with Richard Schwartz entitled, Many Minds, One Self. Furthermore, Bob has been involved with psychedelics since 1967 and is now bringing his long history of IFS and psychedelics together into the body of work which informs the conversation you will hear today.
Together, Bob and I lay the groundwork for what Internal Family Systems therapy is; its foundational propositions about the nature of the mind; and both how IFS works and how therapists work with IFS to bring about healing. From there we go into the unique benefit IFS has to offer psychedelic therapy and how to use IFS in both preparation for and integration of psychedelic experiences.
We also talk about generative change vs counteractive change; the harms of isolation and the healing of connection; the porous nature of the mind and relational nature of reality; and even Bob’s perspective on how to work with spirit entities, demons, and the intelligence of psychedelic medicines.
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Robert “Bob” Falconer has been a therapist for some 40 years and has come to focus exclusively on IFS as he believes it is the most potent and respectful way of working he has found. Bob has been at many workshops and events with Richard Schwartz (the originator of IFS) both as an assistant and participant. In addition to studying with many of the other senior IFS trainers, He also co-authored a book with Richard Schwartz entitled, Many Minds, One Self. Furthermore, Bob has been involved with psychedelics since 1967 and is now bringing his long history of IFS and psychedelics together into the body of work which informs the conversation you will hear today.
