Everything IFS Blog

Internal Family Systems

An elderly East Asian sage standing beside gently rippling muddy water, hands open in quiet contemplation, surrounded by misty mountains and soft natural tones, illustrating the Tao Te Ching’s teaching on stillness and clarity.

Chapter 15 – Tao Te Ching

This chapter shows the ancient sages living with subtlety, patience, and depth. Through Internal Family Systems (IFS), their qualities become a portrait of Self-led presence—careful, flexible, and still enough for clarity to rise without force.

Taoism and IFS

8 min read

A contemplative figure standing in soft natural mist, reaching toward an unseen presence to portray the Tao as invisible, inaudible, and intangible, inspired by Tao Te Ching Chapter 14 and Internal Family Systems (IFS) themes.

Tao Te Ching - Chapter 14

Tao Te Ching Chapter 14 describes the Tao as invisible, inaudible, and intangible — a mystery you cannot grasp but can live from. Through Internal Family Systems (IFS), this chapter becomes a journey inward, showing how Self-energy mirrors the Tao’s subtle presence and how parts soften when held by something deeper. With line-by-line commentary and parts-aware insight, this chapter reveals how the ancient Tao guides modern inner work.

Taoism and IFS

7 min read

A traditional Taoist sage sits in quiet meditation beneath an ancient pine tree, surrounded by misty mountains, conveying the calm spaciousness beyond ego and the gentle wisdom of Chapter 13.

Tao Te Ching - Chapter 13

Laozi teaches that praise and blame shake our parts, but not the Self. Through the IFS lens, Chapter 13 shows how ego creates fear while Self offers calm, steady, spacious leadership.

Taoism and IFS

4 min read

Traditional Chinese ink painting of a sage beside a wheel, clay vessel, and empty room, symbolizing the Taoist teaching that emptiness creates usefulness.

Tao Te Ching - Chapter 11

Laozi teaches that true usefulness comes from emptiness — the open space within and around all things. Through the IFS lens, this chapter reveals how inner spaciousness allows parts to unblend and Self to lead with clarity, calm, and creativity.

Taoism and IFS

4 min read

Traditional East Asian ink painting of a serene Taoist sage in deep contemplation beside flowing water, symbolizing unity, softness, and effortless virtue.

Tao Te Ching — Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of the Tao Te Ching, through the Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, explores the art of staying unified inside—keeping soul and Self connected, softening effort, clearing the inner mirror, and acting without ego. Laozi shows how profound virtue arises when protectors relax, Self leads gently, and action flows without control, comparison, or force.

Taoism and IFS

4 min read

A gentle Taoist landscape with flowing water winding through quiet valleys, symbolizing humility, softness, and non-competition as taught in Chapter 8.

Tao Te Ching - Chapter 8

Chapter 8 teaches that the highest goodness moves like water—humble, gentle, and without competition. Through the IFS lens, this softness mirrors Self-energy: steady, receptive, and naturally aligned, allowing protectors to soften and life to flow with ease.

Taoism and IFS

4 min read

A serene Taoist scene of wide sky and enduring earth with a sage standing humbly in the landscape, symbolizing ego-softening and the steady presence described in Chapter 7.

Tao Te Ching - Chapter 7

Laozi teaches that Heaven and Earth endure because they do not live for themselves. Through IFS, Chapter 7 shows how protectors soften when ego relaxes, allowing Self to lead with steadiness, humility, and quiet fulfillment.

Taoism and IFS

3 min read

A serene Taoist valley with mist, flowing water, and a quiet feminine presence symbolizing the receptive, inexhaustible essence described in Chapter 6.

Tao Te Ching - Chapter 6

Laozi describes the Tao as an endless, receptive depth—the mysterious feminine. Through IFS, Chapter 6 shows Self as the same quiet, nurturing source that never runs dry and restores the system through softness, openness, and calm presence.

Taoism and IFS

4 min read

A serene Taoist landscape with a sage near misty mountains and flowing water, symbolizing the endless, calming presence described in Chapter 4.

Chapter 4 – Tao Te Ching

Laozi describes the Tao as an inexhaustible, calming presence that softens what is sharp and settles what is chaotic. Through IFS, Chapter 4 reveals Self as the same endless, quiet capacity that restores balance without force.

4 min read

A traditional Taoist scene of a sage guiding simple villagers in a quiet landscape, symbolizing the calming of desire and the effortless harmony taught in Chapter 3.

Chapter 3 – Tao Te Ching

Laozi teaches that striving, desire, and ambition confuse the heart, while simplicity restores balance. Through IFS, Chapter 3 shows how parts calm when ego-softening replaces grasping, allowing Self to lead with quiet, grounded ease.

Taoism and IFS

4 min read

A traditional Taoist landscape with misty mountains and flowing water, symbolizing the harmony of opposites and the effortless balance taught in Chapter 2.

Chapter 2 – Tao Te Ching

Laozi teaches that opposites create each other, and suffering comes from clinging to one side. Through IFS, Chapter 2 reveals how parts polarize while Self stays centered, acting with effortless alignment.

Taoism and IFS

5 min read

Two adults sit facing each other in elegant upholstered chairs on a sunlit terrace, engaged in a calm, attentive conversation. A small table with soft pink flowers rests between them, with tall greenery, pale stone columns, distant mountains, and water in the background. The image conveys thoughtful communication, deep listening, collaboration, and respectful dialogue for a Motivational Interviewing course.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) Course

A free IFS Academy course on Motivational Interviewing (MI) for beginners, taught in plain language as the real method of Miller and Rollnick. Covers what MI is, the spirit of MI (PACE), the core skills (OARS), the four processes, change talk and sustain talk, evoking, and planning, across twelve short lessons. Ends with Internal Family Systems (IFS) and parts work practice.

Everything IFS

A bright, realistic counseling conversation in a peaceful sunlit office, where a man speaks openly with gentle hand gestures while a woman listens with relaxed, attentive warmth. The image reflects Motivational Interviewing as a way of being: a respectful, compassionate relationship grounded in partnership, acceptance, curiosity, and trust in the person’s own capacity for change.

Module 12 — MI as a Way of Being | Motivational Interviewing Course

A free IFS Academy course on the closing idea of Motivational Interviewing: MI as a way of being rather than a toolkit. Covers how every MI skill expresses one underlying stance, why the spirit is what people actually feel, how to recognize good MI from the receiving end, turning MI inward toward your own ambivalence, and using MI in everyday conversations with family, friends, and colleagues. Ends with Internal Family Systems (IFS) and parts work practice.

Everything IFS

A bright, realistic counseling conversation in a warm sunlit office, where a practitioner extends an open hand while speaking with a client seated across from her, an open notebook resting between them on the table. The image reflects Motivational Interviewing’s elicit-provide-elicit approach by showing information and advice being offered collaboratively, with respect for the person’s perspective, choice, and response.

Module 10 — Sharing Information and Advice the MI Way | Motivational Interviewing Course

A free IFS Academy course on sharing information and advice the MI way, using Elicit-Provide-Elicit. Answers whether you can give advice in Motivational Interviewing, and covers asking permission first, the elicit-provide-elicit method, offering options instead of directives, and the chunk-check-chunk rhythm for longer information. Ends with Internal Family Systems (IFS) and parts work practice.

Everything IFS