Integrating the Rule of Life with Internal Family Systems (IFS)

1 – 3 May 2026 (Friday to Sunday)
Integrating the Rule of Life with Internal Family Systems (IFS): deepening and extending the inner and outer journey*

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an empowering form of psychotherapy that embraces ancient spiritual traditions and, as such, is perfectly suited for integrating with the Northumbria Community Rule of Life.

IFS tells us that we all have an internal family of people inside us, called ‘parts’, and that we can build a relationship with each of our parts from our spiritual self, the seat of our consciousness (called ‘Self’ in IFS).  Self is a pure essence inside us that cannot be destroyed and knows how to heal.  In contrast our parts either get forced into protective roles or carry the payload from harmful events in the form of wounds and scars.  Therefore our parts take over, and the ‘internal system’ becomes burdened. However, the good news is that there are no bad parts, and healing is possible for each part when Self is allowed to lead!

The way to learn about IFS is by experiencing it for yourself, so the weekend will consist of explanation, meditations and creative exercises to provide a safe framework for discovery and building relationship with our own internal family.  It can address fundamental questions such as: ‘Am I loved?‘ and ‘Am I enough?‘

All that is required to begin is for us to direct our attention inside in stillness and with patient non-judgemental curiosity.

Peter Barraclough has been a qualified Internal Family Systems therapist for four years and is a Companion of the Northumbria Community. For more information about IFS you can visit www.ifs-institute.com

*This is a spiritual retreat, not a therapy training weekend.