An IFS trauma-informed approach to healing boundaries

In this talk from the Trauma, Attach(e)ment & Resilience 2023 Summit, Dr. Lissa Rankin explains how the discovery of the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model changed her perception of personal boundaries. She discusses the importance of establishing healthy boundaries to protect one’s space while remaining open to relationships.

She highlights that boundary injuries can influence our interactions, and emphasizes the role of one’s different parts in managing these boundaries, while stressing the importance of communication and negotiation in establishing balanced boundaries.

Over the course of the talk, Lissa discusses:

• The IFS (Internal Family Systems) therapeutic model.
• The roles of anger and shame in boundary management.
• How to negotiate boundaries in the form of mutual, respectful compromise, where each person’s needs and boundaries are recognized and respected.
• Why not having clear boundaries can lead to an emotional tangle where it becomes difficult to distinguish one’s own emotions from those of others.