A New Approach to Helping Clients Change Food Choices: Internal Family Systems Therapy

Everyone has conflicting thoughts and urges with respect to food that lead to behaviors that may be inconsistent and even against our own best interests. These internal conflicts are often confusing and frustrating to clients and nutrition counselors. Accepting and working with these conflicting "parts" allows us to be more effective in guiding our clients to optimal health.

CPE Level: Level 3
CPEU: 1.0

Performance Indicators

• 2.1.3 Tailors message to meet the needs of the target audience.
• 9.6.1 Determines and applies counseling theories, psychological methods and strategies that empower customers to make changes.
• 9.2.4 Collaborates with learner(s) and colleagues to formulate specific, measurable and attainable objectives and goals.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize the role internal polarizations play in resistance to behavior change
• Describe how the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model approaches the eating process and the treatment of disordered eating
• Employ the concept of "parts" with a broad range of clients to address resistance to change

Speaker

• Molly Kellogg