Using Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy With Autistic Clients

CPD

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Speaker

Sarah Bergenfield, MA Related seminars and products

The Curious Heart

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Sarah Bergenfield, MA, is an autistic psychologist, writer and educator specialising in autism as a condition that causes challenges to the predictive thinking mechanisms of the brain. A graduate of Goddard College, her thesis will be published as a book by New Harbinger in 2025.

Sarah is a Certified Level 3 Internal Family Systems Practitioner and uses the IFS model to minimise uncertainty and support autistic clients in understanding and accepting their diagnosis. Sarah has been pivotal in working to adapt the IFS model to include neurodivergent systems.
 

Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Sarah Bergenfield maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with the Internal Family Systems Institute. She receives a speaking honorarium and recording royalties from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Sarah Bergenfield has no relevant non-financial relationships.

Additional Info

This product is not endorsed by, sponsored by, or affiliated with the IFS Institute and does not qualify for IFS Institute credits or certification.

Objectives

• Explain the importance of predictability to autistic clients. 
• Explain how autism is an embodied experience with heightened sensory responses  
• You will be able to state the importance of understanding autistic perception  
• Facilitate autistic clients understanding of how their brains work while helping them identify strategies to reduce overwhelm  
• Identify ways to adapt the IFS model to the needs of their autistic clients 
• Demonstrate how parts commonly organize in an autistic system

Outline

• Predictive Thinking and What the New Neuroscience Tells Us
• The Importance of Predictability for Autistics and How the Autistic Body Responds to Uncertainty
• How IFS Is Well-suited to Provide Predictability and How Parts Cope to Survive and Argue About it Later
• Things you might see in an IFS session
• Limitations of Research
• Q&A

Target Audience

This workshop is intended for all mental health professionals working with clients presenting symptoms of autism including:

• Psychotherapists
• Counsellors
• IAPT Practitioners
• Psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Social Workers
• Nurses
• Other mental health professionals

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