Somatic IFS Technique — Internal Family Systems Therapy

An extension of standard IFS developed by Susan McConnell. The body is regarded as the main dwelling place of parts: every sensation, tension, breathing pattern is a possible expression of a part. Five practices: body awareness, conscious breathing, deep resonance, mindful movement, attuned touch. It allows work with parts through the body, not only through images and thoughts.

Step-by-step guide

Start with a body scan: "Where do you notice tension, tightness, pressure, temperature?"
Choose one sensation and focus on it: "Let the sensation fully appear"
Explore it as a part: "If this sensation had a voice — what would it say?"
Apply conscious breathing: "Try breathing into this part. What happens?"
If the part starts to move — allow the impulse: "Is there a desire to make a movement? Let the body do so"
Validate the bodily expression: "Yes, this is what this part is carrying"
Continue with the standard 6F protocol, using the body as the main channel

When to use

With somatization: no access to the part through images or thoughts
With chronic pain that may be the expression of a part
With alexithymia — difficulty naming emotions
With body-held traumatic memories — the body remembers, the mind does not

Key phrases

You notice this pressure in the chest. Try directing the breath there and simply being with the sensation. What happens? What does this part want to show you?

Follow-up questions

What happens with the sensation when you breathe into it?

Is there an impulse to move? Let the body do what it wants

Alternative phrasings

If this tension could speak — what would it say?

Warnings

⚠️ Physical contact (attuned touch) requires specialized training and clear consent
⚠️ With dissociation, be careful with an intense body focus
⚠️ Movement work requires enough physical space

Source: McConnell S. Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy, 2020