By Lissa Rankin, MD, with IFS founder Dick Schwartz & IFS Institute CEO Katie Nelson
IFS has grown so much so quickly, and more people than ever have heard about it and are interested in practicing it, which is great. IFS has been a game changer for my healing journey, so it makes me happy to bump into total strangers who are also practicing the IFS model, getting IFS therapy, and talking about their parts.
I’m new in town after moving from my home of 17 years, but a new friend invited me to a potluck, and when I walked in the room, a big burly lumberjack-looking man who I’d never met, who recognized me from teaching with IFS founder Dick Schwartz, approached me in a kind, open-hearted way and told me he’d met a new “exile” (wounded inner child) that morning. Upon my gentle acknowledgment of that part of him and invitation for him to introduce it to me, should he wish, he proceeded to tell me about the young vulnerable part he met. It felt like such a privilege, to be granted that kind of access to his vulnerability without knowing him very well. IFS has a tendency to do that to people. When others know you practice IFS, they trust that you won’t use their vulnerability against them, that it’s okay to talk about feelings, and that tender parts will find a receptive sanctuary for space holding. I felt honored to meet this gentleman and shared with him a young part of me I was working with recently. Our inner children got to play together for a brief time and we shared a dance on the dance floor. I love that about IFS.
My endorsement of the IFS model can be seen all over my professional work. I’ve published two IFS-adjacent books (Mind Over Medicine and Sacred Medicine) and am mid process of publishing three more (Relationsick, The Boundaries Handbook, and Love Bigger.) I’ve written dozens of blog posts, taught dozens of online workshops that include IFS, and recorded YouTube videos.I run two IFS-informed communities- LOVE SCHOOL and The Writer’s Calling that are ongoing IFS communities of practice, and I’ve been working to launch Heal At Last, a non-profit devoted to health equity, with the mission to make IFS more affordable and accessible for those who deserve it and need it but can’t access or pay full price for it. It’s because I care so much that I think it’s important to have the hard conversations as communities of practice grow, evolve, scale, and run the risk of getting derailed, if we’re not careful to cult-proof our communities.
But as with many things that grow quickly, the widespread adoption of IFS also means there’s a risk of diluting the model, misinterpreting the model, having the model appropriated by people who don’t adequately understand it, or having IFS enthusiasts grasp onto this newly popular therapy model with cult-like missionary zeal. As one of my clients put it, “those who practice IFS feel like the cool kids from high school.” There’s a cliquey “in crowd” vibe to it, she explained, especially in online spaces that I don’t frequent. She said she gets that vibe less from the actual IFS leaders and trainers than from the people who have appropriated it in social media groups, where dissent is not always welcomed and skeptics are sometimes shamed for not being 100% IFS purists. As someone who teaches IFS and might have some proximity to any IFS “in crowd,” I could see how being outside of it might activate parts.
As an IFS adjacent educator, I’ve had students ask me this question- “Is IFS a cult?” And I’ve been pondering the question for nearly a year now. I informed Dick Schwartz many months ago that I was thinking about trying to open a community conversation about the question, to crowd source it, and he supported my impulse to do so. If you’re curious what others in the IFS community had to say, you can track the conversation or add to it on this Facebook post.
I’ve spent a lot of time lately in the cult recovery space because both my sister and my partner Jeff are cult survivors. So I’ve read many of the books and listened to many of the cult recovery podcasts, like A Little Bit Culty, Indoctrination, and Conspirituality. IFS clearly isn’t a cult the way many of the cults featured on those podcasts are, but many of the known cults did start as therapy, self-help, or spirituality circles, all of which describe IFS.
I had a conversation with IFS founder Dick Schwartz a few months back about this. Dick said:
“I do agree that there are an increasing number of IFS zealots and that may be why you’re getting this question. It’s also inevitable when something gets as popular as IFS has become. I don’t know how to control how many are using it without proper training and it concerns me. My response in general is that most cults are based around a charismatic leader who tells them what to think and do. IFS is based on finding the leader in yourself who, rather than telling you what to do, brings love and compassion to all your parts. I don’t tell you to believe in this because I say it’s true but instead, this is what I’ve found. I invite people to explore within themselves to see if it bears out. In these senses, it’s an anti-cult because it empowers people rather than asks for them to give me their power. Feel free to quote me.”
I want to make clear that I deeply appreciate IFS founder Dick Schwartz and the heart-centered community he’s created, and I have no intention for this to be a “hit piece.” It’s been a wonderful healing field for me personally, and I’ve greatly benefited from in person workshops, reading books, listening to Dick’s guided IFS meditations, and attending and presenting at the IFS conference. I’ve been working with the IFS model for over a decade and I’ve known and loved Dick Schwartz for about that long. My parts melt in the presence of his Self energy, and that has never changed. Dick has facilitated many therapy sessions for me, my partner, and some of my closest friends, and I’ve co-taught three full workshops with him and many other partial workshops. So my gratitude and respect cannot be overstated. I don’t have any desire to hurt Dick Schwartz or the IFS Institute, and in fact, parts of me were quite scared to try to write this essay and share it with Dick. HIs generous spirit about the process of exploring the question “Is IFS a cult?” was quite trust-building and heart warming for me, even if we don’t always see eye to eye on every single thing.
Because my desire is to discuss this topic openly and transparently, I shared this article with Dick Schwartz and Katie Nelson, the CEO of the IFS Institute, who both share some of my concerns and care deeply about cult-proofing our community and having the hard conversations. Mostly, Dick, Katie and I agree on these issues and agreed to let me add their names to the byline. We had few areas of disagreement, and where we do disagree, you’ll see me (Lissa) sharing my point of view and then you’ll see Dick and Katie’s comments in italics. Anywhere that no rebuttal is listed, we generally agree about areas to watch out for as we grow and evolve as the IFS community. I appreciate that it’s okay to disagree within a community of practice. Leaders within the IFS community, as well as students and trainers, do not always have to agree about everything, which is one of many reasons I don’t believe IFS is a cult.
Cult experts like Robert Jay Lifton and Janja Lalich often define cults by some or all of these characteristics:
From Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, Lifton identified 8 markers of environments that engage in thought reform, often used to identify cult-like behavior:
IFS has grown so much so quickly, and more people than ever have heard about it and are interested in practicing it, which is great. IFS has been a game changer for my healing journey, so it makes me happy to bump into total strangers who are also practicing the IFS model, getting IFS therapy, and talking about their parts.
I’m new in town after moving from my home of 17 years, but a new friend invited me to a potluck, and when I walked in the room, a big burly lumberjack-looking man who I’d never met, who recognized me from teaching with IFS founder Dick Schwartz, approached me in a kind, open-hearted way and told me he’d met a new “exile” (wounded inner child) that morning. Upon my gentle acknowledgment of that part of him and invitation for him to introduce it to me, should he wish, he proceeded to tell me about the young vulnerable part he met. It felt like such a privilege, to be granted that kind of access to his vulnerability without knowing him very well. IFS has a tendency to do that to people. When others know you practice IFS, they trust that you won’t use their vulnerability against them, that it’s okay to talk about feelings, and that tender parts will find a receptive sanctuary for space holding. I felt honored to meet this gentleman and shared with him a young part of me I was working with recently. Our inner children got to play together for a brief time and we shared a dance on the dance floor. I love that about IFS.
My endorsement of the IFS model can be seen all over my professional work. I’ve published two IFS-adjacent books (Mind Over Medicine and Sacred Medicine) and am mid process of publishing three more (Relationsick, The Boundaries Handbook, and Love Bigger.) I’ve written dozens of blog posts, taught dozens of online workshops that include IFS, and recorded YouTube videos.I run two IFS-informed communities- LOVE SCHOOL and The Writer’s Calling that are ongoing IFS communities of practice, and I’ve been working to launch Heal At Last, a non-profit devoted to health equity, with the mission to make IFS more affordable and accessible for those who deserve it and need it but can’t access or pay full price for it. It’s because I care so much that I think it’s important to have the hard conversations as communities of practice grow, evolve, scale, and run the risk of getting derailed, if we’re not careful to cult-proof our communities.
But as with many things that grow quickly, the widespread adoption of IFS also means there’s a risk of diluting the model, misinterpreting the model, having the model appropriated by people who don’t adequately understand it, or having IFS enthusiasts grasp onto this newly popular therapy model with cult-like missionary zeal. As one of my clients put it, “those who practice IFS feel like the cool kids from high school.” There’s a cliquey “in crowd” vibe to it, she explained, especially in online spaces that I don’t frequent. She said she gets that vibe less from the actual IFS leaders and trainers than from the people who have appropriated it in social media groups, where dissent is not always welcomed and skeptics are sometimes shamed for not being 100% IFS purists. As someone who teaches IFS and might have some proximity to any IFS “in crowd,” I could see how being outside of it might activate parts.
As an IFS adjacent educator, I’ve had students ask me this question- “Is IFS a cult?” And I’ve been pondering the question for nearly a year now. I informed Dick Schwartz many months ago that I was thinking about trying to open a community conversation about the question, to crowd source it, and he supported my impulse to do so. If you’re curious what others in the IFS community had to say, you can track the conversation or add to it on this Facebook post.
What Does IFS Founder Dick Schwartz Think About Whether IFS Is A Cult?
I’ve spent a lot of time lately in the cult recovery space because both my sister and my partner Jeff are cult survivors. So I’ve read many of the books and listened to many of the cult recovery podcasts, like A Little Bit Culty, Indoctrination, and Conspirituality. IFS clearly isn’t a cult the way many of the cults featured on those podcasts are, but many of the known cults did start as therapy, self-help, or spirituality circles, all of which describe IFS.
I had a conversation with IFS founder Dick Schwartz a few months back about this. Dick said:
“I do agree that there are an increasing number of IFS zealots and that may be why you’re getting this question. It’s also inevitable when something gets as popular as IFS has become. I don’t know how to control how many are using it without proper training and it concerns me. My response in general is that most cults are based around a charismatic leader who tells them what to think and do. IFS is based on finding the leader in yourself who, rather than telling you what to do, brings love and compassion to all your parts. I don’t tell you to believe in this because I say it’s true but instead, this is what I’ve found. I invite people to explore within themselves to see if it bears out. In these senses, it’s an anti-cult because it empowers people rather than asks for them to give me their power. Feel free to quote me.”
I want to make clear that I deeply appreciate IFS founder Dick Schwartz and the heart-centered community he’s created, and I have no intention for this to be a “hit piece.” It’s been a wonderful healing field for me personally, and I’ve greatly benefited from in person workshops, reading books, listening to Dick’s guided IFS meditations, and attending and presenting at the IFS conference. I’ve been working with the IFS model for over a decade and I’ve known and loved Dick Schwartz for about that long. My parts melt in the presence of his Self energy, and that has never changed. Dick has facilitated many therapy sessions for me, my partner, and some of my closest friends, and I’ve co-taught three full workshops with him and many other partial workshops. So my gratitude and respect cannot be overstated. I don’t have any desire to hurt Dick Schwartz or the IFS Institute, and in fact, parts of me were quite scared to try to write this essay and share it with Dick. HIs generous spirit about the process of exploring the question “Is IFS a cult?” was quite trust-building and heart warming for me, even if we don’t always see eye to eye on every single thing.
Because my desire is to discuss this topic openly and transparently, I shared this article with Dick Schwartz and Katie Nelson, the CEO of the IFS Institute, who both share some of my concerns and care deeply about cult-proofing our community and having the hard conversations. Mostly, Dick, Katie and I agree on these issues and agreed to let me add their names to the byline. We had few areas of disagreement, and where we do disagree, you’ll see me (Lissa) sharing my point of view and then you’ll see Dick and Katie’s comments in italics. Anywhere that no rebuttal is listed, we generally agree about areas to watch out for as we grow and evolve as the IFS community. I appreciate that it’s okay to disagree within a community of practice. Leaders within the IFS community, as well as students and trainers, do not always have to agree about everything, which is one of many reasons I don’t believe IFS is a cult.
First, What Is a Cult?
Cult experts like Robert Jay Lifton and Janja Lalich often define cults by some or all of these characteristics:
- A charismatic leader who claims to hold unique truth or divine authority
- Coercive control of every aspect of the lives of followers (what they eat, what they wear, what information outside the cult they consume, who they hang out with, who they have sex with, what exercises they do or don’t do, etc)
- A strong us/them mentality, with grandiosity on the “us” side of things and devaluation of “them”
- Isolation from outside influence or dissenting views
- Pressure to conform, obey, or suppress doubt
- Unquestioning reverence for the teachings or teacher and contempt for anyone who challenges the teacher or teachings
- Exploitative or coercive power dynamics
- Emotional, spiritual, financial, or sexual manipulation
Robert Jay Lifton’s 8 Criteria of Thought Reform
From Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism, Lifton identified 8 markers of environments that engage in thought reform, often used to identify cult-like behavior:
- Milieu Control- Regulation of information and communication within the group.
- Mystical Manipulation- The group claims higher purpose or divine authority; experiences are staged or framed as miraculous.
- Demand for Purity– Members are expected to meet impossible standards; guilt and shame are used to control behavior.
- Confession- Group encourages or requires public or private confessions, often to leaders who use them for control.
- Sacred Science- The group’s doctrine is treated as absolute, unquestionable truth.
- Loading the Language- Use of jargon or language that reshapes thinking and restricts critical reflection.
- Doctrine over Person- Individual experiences are overridden by the group’s doctrine (“If you’re suffering, it’s because you’re not aligned”).
- Dispensing of Existence– Outsiders...