IFS Certification

By completing training, you earn an IFS certificate that proves you have
mastered certain skills at a high level. The certificate ensures that you are a
competent IFS practitioner, familiar with the method’s assumptions and
qualified to use it. Certification is necessary to distinguish you from people
who don’t have the appropriate preparation and those who are still learning
the basics. Of course, learning to be a psychotherapist or a coach is a lifetime
process but certificates show that you have obtained proficiency in the
method.

There are two categories of IFS Certification – IFS Therapist and Certified IFS
Practitioner. They differ slightly and the basic requirements for both groups
are the most important thing here. This division is crucial to distinguish
practitioners with clinical experience from the ones who don’t have one.
However, it doesn’t cover all the levels of IFS training.

In order to apply to become a Certified IFS Therapist you must demonstrate
that:

1. You have earned a Masters degree in a Human Services field, and
2. Are licensed or certified for clinical practice.

FOR CERTIFICATION AS AN IFS THERAPIST OR IFS PRACTITIONER

In order to obtain certification as an IFS Therapist or IFS Practitioner you
must fulfill each of the four criteria (A, B, C, and D) below.

• Successful completion of a Level 1 IFS Training Program (defined as having
  earned the Certificate of Completion).
• Documentation showing one year of post-Level 1/Basic Training clinical IFS
  practice (includes a minimum of 200 hours of clinical/applied practice) following
  completion of a Level 1 Training (completion is defined as having earned the
  Certificate of Completion).
• Documentation of 30 hours of IFS Continuing Education and IFS Clinical
  consultation, as noted below:

1. 20 hours of IFS clinical consultation (up to 10 hours of which may be group);
and a minimum of 10 hours of IFS Continuing Education from the list below

OR

2. 10 hours of IFS clinical consultation (up to 5 hours of which maybe group)
and 20 hours (or more) of IFS Continuing Education from the list below.

Level 2 Intensive IFS Trainings such as:

• Deepening and Expanding
• Intimacy from the Inside Out
• IFS Trauma and Neuroscience
• IFS Addiction and Eating Disorders

Level 2 Multi Topic Trainings

Level 3 IFS Training

IFS Retreats focused on Skill building

IFS Annual Conference (maximum of 10 hours)

IFS Workshops taught by IFS Trainers or Certified IFS Therapists

Participation as Program Assistant in a Level 1, 2 or 3 Training

D. Demonstration of competency via option 1 or 2 below:

1. DVD recording of an IFS session

2. Live IFS session

For both the DVD and Live Session Reviews, the applicant must provide:

1. One-page summary detailing the skills and aspects of the IFS model exemplified in
   the session.
2. The therapeutic history with this client.
3. Self-evaluation of the applicant’s own growing edges as well as his/her competence.

in the session(s).

And that’s all!
After a positive evaluation of the recording or live session you are to receive
an appropriate certificate and can call yourself an IFS Therapist or IFS
Practitioner.

What are the key skills that any IFS practitioner needs to master? Please find
below the list of skills, which will not only help you pass the exam but, most of
all, serve as a guideline on your learning path: which of these skills you have
already mastered and which of them you still need to work on.

1. Therapist demonstrates Self Energy throughout session(s) and claims own
   parts’ interference if needed.
2. Listens to presenting problem and identifies key parts involved.
3. Contracts to work on target part(s).
4. Demonstrates the 6 “F”s.
5. Addresses Manager fears and/or negotiates with Firefighters.
6. Helps client unblend.
7. Direct Access.
8. Demonstrates development of therapeutic relationship.
9. Connects and works with Exiles.
10. Completes six steps of healing (witnessing, unburdening, etc.).
11. Retrieval (if needed).
12. Invites positive qualities.
13. Integration.

This is, more less, how the IFS certification and training process looks like. It’s
quite simple and completion proves that you are competent to help others.
For more details on the IFS certification, check out the IFS website
(https://selfleadership.org/ifs-certification-policy.html).