Getting to Know the IFS Model: An Experiential Approach for Helping Professionals

Feb 5-7, 2026 ● 9 am - 5 pm
Houston, TX

19 CE Credit Hours
NBCC Approval No. SP-5173

Registration Closed

We offer several registration options to make this training accessible to our community.


Registration rates range from $250–$395, with Student, Equity, and Non-Profit discounts available.

Presenting Sponsor

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This three-day experiential training introduces the foundational principles of Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy.

Designed for therapists and healers who wish to feel the model from the inside out, the weekend combines teaching, guided practice, and real-time exploration of your own inner system.

Participants will gain a relational and embodied understanding of IFS concepts, preparing them to bring more Self-energy and attunement into their clinical work.

What you’ll learn.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

  1. Explain the foundational concepts of IFS Therapy.

  2. Differentiate Self-energy from blended states.

  3. Identify protective and vulnerable parts in themselves and others.

  4. Apply the 6 Fs framework to guide initial parts work.

  5. Maintain Self-presence in relational and clinical contexts.

  6. Cultivate compassion, curiosity, and pacing in therapeutic engagement.

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A woman smiling outdoors in a grassy field, black and white photograph.

Meet Your Trainer

Jenny Fiebig, MS,NCC, LCPC/LPC is a licensed professional counselor in Montana and Colorado with a private practice dedicated to helping individuals and couples heal from trauma, particularly trauma related to outdoor experiences. Her background in outdoor education and guiding continues to inform her therapeutic approach, emphasizing connection to self, others, and the natural world.

Introduced to Internal Family Systems (IFS) in 2010, Jenny has since become deeply specialized in the model and now serves as a lead trainer with the IFS Institute. She has successfully taught Intro to IFS workshops to numerous groups of therapists across the world, helping healers experience and integrate the model in both professional and personal ways.

  • Theme: Understanding and feeling the model in yourself

    Morning — Opening & Grounding

    • Describe the core principles and assumptions of the IFS model

    • Identify the three main categories of parts and their protective roles

    • Articulate the difference between Self and blended states

    • Experiential: Guided meditation and intention setting to sense Self-energy

    • Activity: “Parts Timeline” — mapping your system’s key parts

    Late Morning — Self-Energy in the Body

    • Recognize the felt sense of Self-energy

    • Practice accessing and sustaining Self through somatic awareness

    • Partner Work: Describe Self vs. blended states to a partner

    Afternoon — Meeting Parts with Compassion

    • Build connection with a protective part

    • Experience unblending and the shift toward Self

    • Activity: “Meet a Protector” guided imagery + dyad reflection

    • Group Debrief: Sharing without fixing or analyzing

  • Theme: Staying in Self while with another person’s parts

    Morning — Deepening Self Presence

    • Develop capacity to be with vulnerable parts without overwhelm

    • Track somatic cues for parts activation

    • Experiential: Sitting with an exile while protectors observe

    Late Morning — Relational Self-Energy

    • Practice relational Self-energy

    • Use empathic reflection to help others feel seen

    • Activity: “Being With” dyad practice — one speaks from a part, the other stays in Self

    Afternoon — Holding Space for Others’ Systems

    • Hold space without pushing for change

    • Demo: Trainer session with volunteer

    • Partner Work: Practice pacing and following the client’s system

    Debrief: What helped you stay in Self as listener

  • Theme: Guiding others through parts work safely and relationally

    Morning — First Steps in Guiding

    • Guide a partner to connect with a part using the 6 Fs

    • Support unblending and self-observation

    • Experiential: Mini-teach and demo + dyad practice

    Late Morning — Working with Protectors Before Exiles

    • Identify and gain permission from protectors

    • Deepen connection with protectors using curiosity and respect

    • Activity: “Protector Permission” role-play

    Afternoon — Integration & Relational Context

    • Recognize therapist blending and re-center in Self

    • Reflect on ethical and relational dynamics in IFS work

    • Triad Practice: Therapist, client, and observer 20-min sessions

    Closing Circle: Share moments of Self-energy from the weekend

What To Expect

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The Venue

City street with tall buildings, a sidewalk, and a few trees, during daytime with partly cloudy sky.

Our February 2026 IFS Training will be held at The Center Club.

Participants will have ample space to stretch, breathe, and engage fully throughout the day.

THE CENTER CLUB
1100 Caroline Street
Houston, TX 77002

Tall skyscrapers in a downtown city area with a clear blue sky, surrounded by a street with some trees and construction cones.
Assorted desserts including chocolate, fruit, and cream pastries on serving trays, along with sliced cantaloupe, pineapple, and strawberries on a separate platter, set on a dark table with plates and utensils.
Empty gym with multiple cardio machines, including treadmills and ellipticals, in a spacious area with fluorescent ceiling lights.

Included Amenities

  • Breakfast and lunch provided daily.

  • Access to The Center Club’s fitness facilities for workshop participants.

  • Attached parking garage for convenient arrival and departure. Parking is $10/day additional cost.

  • ADA accessible, with elevator access, accessible restrooms, and designated parking

Traveling to Houston for the training?

Convenient and Affordable Hotel Recommendations

 FAQs

  • Getting to Know the IFS Model: An Experiential Approach for Helping Professionals has been approved by NBCC for NBCC credit. The Brave & Sage Foundation is solely responsible for all aspects of the program. NBCC Approval No. SP-5173

    19 CE credits are included with registration. Full attendance is required.

  • We aim to be fair and predictable. All windows below reference the program start date and local time at the venue (or host platform).

    Participant cancels

    • ≥ 30 days prior: 100% refund minus a $25 administrative fee or one free transfer to a comparable SBT program within 12 months.

    • 14–29 days prior: 50% refund or one free transfer within 12 months.

    • < 14 days or no-show: No refund. At any time before the program begins, you may transfer your seat to a qualified colleague at no cost (email us their full name, credentials, and email).

    • How to cancel/transfer: Email BraveandSage@gmail.com

    • Refund method & timing: Approved refunds are returned to the original form of payment within 10 business days. Any third-party payment processing fees are non-refundable.

    B&S cancels, reschedules, or converts format

    • If B&S cancels, you may choose a full refund or a free transfer to a future offering.

    If B&S reschedules or converts to live online delivery for reasons beyond its control (e.g., illness, venue failure, extreme weather), you may accept the change or request a full refund.

  • The Brave & Sage Foundation is committed to creating an inclusive, accessible learning environment. The Houston Center Club venue is ADA accessible, with elevator access, accessible restrooms, and designated parking. If you require specific accommodations (e.g., seating needs, ASL interpretation, captioning, or other assistance), please email braveandsage@gmail.com at least 14 days prior to the event so we can make appropriate arrangements.

  • No. This course is not a replacement for the IFS Institute Level 1 Training and does not count toward the certification requirements.

  • No. This is an introductory training and does not require prior knowledge of IFS.

  • Yes, there will be brief, opt-in micro-practices with clear instructions and alternatives for observers.

Click here for our full policies.

Thank you to Our Sponsors

Presenting Partner

Logo for Luna, an organization providing integrative care for substance use and mental health, with a crescent moon graphic.
Logo of Optimum Performance Institute (OPI) featuring a stylized city skyline with sun rays in yellow and black, and the text 'OPI' with the full name underneath.

Therapist Ally Sponsors

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Community Sponsors

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Contributing Sponsors

Illustration of a woman with long, curly hair in a bun, wearing glasses, colorful jewelry, and holding a plant, with a rainbow in the background. Caption: Doula for the Soul Enterprises, rooted in healing and reclaiming wholeness.
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Breakfast Sponsor

Menninger logo with a blue crest featuring a caduceus and the word 'Menninger' in black text.
Logo for TheraClosure, featuring stylized blue birds with outstretched wings. Text below reads "TheraClosure" and "Therapist Professional Executor Service".
Logo for Ladonna Carey, MA, Betrayal Recovery Specialist, featuring a stylized flame or leaf design in beige tones.

Therapist Scholarship Sponsors