- Theorize regarding the multiplicity of self as a spontaneously and naturally occurring and observed phenomenon in human personality and self-concept.
- Describe the three components of the psyche according to IFS theory: parts, burdens, and the Self, and their implications for treatment.
- Support the use of the concept of the “observer self” in psychotherapy as a valid and useful method for developing client introspection and self-reflection.
- Appraise psychological and neuropsychological research and implications for an approach to psychotherapy based on the observed multiplicity of self as a construct and spontaneously occurring altered states in those without dissociative disorders.
- Evaluate the risks and benefits of Internal Family Systems as an emerging treatment for PTSD and addictive behaviors.
- Apply IFS techniques for increasing access to Self in clients’ systems.
- Perform IFS techniques for helping clients to differentiate from and form compassionate, collaborative relationships with the proactive and reactive protective parts of their systems.
- Use IFS techniques for facilitating the development of secure internal attachment relationships between clients and the wounded and traumatized parts of their systems.
- Evaluate the impact of the therapist’s internal state on clinical work and how to use this awareness to facilitate a client’s emotion regulation skills.
- Discuss the IFS approach to working with transference and countertransference in the therapeutic relationship.
- Demonstrate how to assist clients in self-observation and introspection that can foster the ability to work with difficult internal states with less self-judgment and improved self-efficacy.
- Apply a model based on the concept of having spontaneous emergence of altered intrapsychic states, referred to as “parts,” for doing introspective, self-of-the-therapist work.
- Determine key intrapsychic polarizations and conflicts that are relevant to a client’s presenting concerns that can impede outcomes and discuss the IFS approach to this phenomenon.
- Evaluate, through observation and analysis of video examples, how to apply IFS techniques in treatment.
- Distinguish between empathy and compassion and the implications for the psychotherapeutic process.
- Hypothesize regarding the “therapeutic dose of empathy” and key considerations guiding the adjustment of the empathy-to-compassion ratio in sessions.
- Analyze the addictive process as conceptualized and treated through an IFS lens.
- Illustrate, through discussion and video examples, IFS techniques for working with the sets of polarized parts involved in the addictive process.
- Utilize IFS strategies to shift clients’ nervous systems towards regulation and help them access their own capacity for healing.
- Summarize the IFS position on traditional grounding and emotion regulation techniques and the importance of compassionate messaging when using such techniques with clients who struggle with self-regulation.
Join us atop the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains at Art of Living Retreat Center in Boone, NC
and deepen your practice using Internal Family Systems (IFS)!
Join internationally-renowned IFS Lead Trainer, Dr. Alexia Rothman,
for a 6-day getaway retreat experience you will never forget!
PLUS, earn up to 24 CE Hours!
and deepen your practice using Internal Family Systems (IFS)!
Join internationally-renowned IFS Lead Trainer, Dr. Alexia Rothman,
for a 6-day getaway retreat experience you will never forget!
PLUS, earn up to 24 CE Hours!
IFS therapy is a transformational approach to healing the systems of even our most traumatized clients. Its compassion-based, empirically validated techniques offer a safe and effective way to work with a full range of clinical concerns, while offering therapists the gift of working in a way that increases personal well-being!
As a participant in this retreat, you will join a group of your colleagues to dive deeply into a step-by-step exploration of the IFS model and learn how to:
- Integrate IFS therapy into your clinical practice
- Effectively work with even the most complex traumas and common co-morbidities, including anxiety, depression, and addictive processes
- Use meditation and personal reflection to find your inner wisdom and Self-Energy in session
- Practice techniques that promote clients' relationships with parts and accessing healing energy
“Lexi Rothman not only knows IFS deeply, she embodies it. She gets my highest recommendation as a therapist or presenter!”
– Richard Schwartz, PhD, Creator of IFS and Founder of the Center for Self-Leadership
PESI retreats fill up fast, so secure your spot today!
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Retreat
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
LIVE in the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains
Sunday, March 30th – Friday, April 4th
Single Occupancy: $3,499.00
Interested in a payment plan? Get started for just half down today!
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Plus, earn up to 24 CE Hours — included in your tuition.
Click here for Credit details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
The Art of Living Retreat Center located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, NC offers a stunning mountain landscape and peaceful grounds for rejuvenation and self-improvement.
Stimulate your body with a daily yoga class or wander the nature trails. Free your mind during a daily group meditation, at the labyrinth, or around an evening bonfire with colleagues and new friends. You can even simultaneously treat both your body and mind with an Ayurvedic treatment at the on-site spa.
This is your opportunity to make this time your own. Improve your overall well-being by reducing stress, increasing your focus, and nourishing your body with nutritious meals and engaging activities. And, with all-inclusive pricing, your lodging, meals, and training are all covered in one simple price.
By the end of this retreat, you will feel transformed on both a personal and professional level – refreshed, revitalized and confidently equipped with new tools and practices for taking your IFS therapy clinical work to the next level.
And all of it is backed by our 100% satisfaction guarantee so you have nothing to lose.
Are you ready? Register today and we’ll see you in the mountains!
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Retreat
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
LIVE in the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains
Sunday, March 30th – Friday, April 4th
Single Occupancy: $3,499.00
Interested in a payment plan? Get started for just half down today!
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Plus, earn up to 24 CE Hours — included in your tuition.
Click here for Credit details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
Retreat Schedule
Sunday, March 30, 2025
4:00–6:00 pm
Check-in
6:00–7:00 pm
Dinner
7:00–7:30 pm
Orientation & Property Overview
7:30–9:30 pm
Educational Program*
Monday, March 31 – Thursday, April 3, 2025
7:30–8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30–11:45 am
Educational Program*
12:00–1:00 pm
Lunch
1:00–5:30 pm
Restoration and Relaxation
6:00–7:00 pm
Dinner
7:00–9:00 pm
Educational Program*
Friday, April 4, 2025
7:30–8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30–10:00 am
Educational Program*
11:00 am
Check-Out
*CE is awarded during these specified times. Licensing boards require full attendance to the entire retreat, including departure day, to receive any credit for the entire retreat. Please plan travel accordingly.
Who Should Attend?
The target audience includes:
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Psychiatrists
- Psychologists
- Addiction Counselors
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Therapists
- Physicians
- Chaplains/Clergy
- Mental Health Professionals
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Retreat
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
LIVE in the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains
Sunday, March 30th – Friday, April 4th
Single Occupancy: $3,499.00
Interested in a payment plan? Get started for just half down today!
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Plus, earn up to 24 CE Hours — included in your tuition.
Click here for Credit details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
Retreat Content
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Model
- Non-pathologizing, compassion-based, experiential psychotherapy
- Comprehensive model of healing traumatic wounds, including relational trauma
- Origins, goals and assumptions of the model
- Research evidence and limitations thereof; potential risks of using IFS as a treatment for PTSD and addictions
- Multiplicity of the mind
- Three components of the psyche: Parts, Burdens & Self
Treating Various Types of Trauma
- Acute trauma
- Complex or relational trauma
- PTSD
- Developmental and attachment traumas
- Extreme or dissociative trauma
Step-by-Step Exploration of the IFS Technique
- Step 1: Identifying the target part/symptom
- Step 2: Accessing internal resources for healing and connection
- Step 3: Befriending the target part and learning the fears and function of the symptom
- Step 4: Healing of traumatic wounds
- Step 5: Integration of change into the system
The Presence of the IFS Therapist
- Identifying parts of the therapist that can make therapeutic work more challenging
- Working with the therapist’s system to achieve maximum clarity and effectiveness
- Increasing access to the therapist’s inner resources and ability to hold a compassionate and healing presence
- Improving the therapist’s ability to support clients’ therapeutic work
Polarizations in the Internal System
- Parts operating in opposition to each other
- Common cause of “stuckness” in therapy and in life
- Very pronounced in highly traumatized systems
The Cycle of Addiction in IFS
- Relevant to substance and process addictions and eating disorders
- Treating a system, not a symptom
- Respectful, collaborative process for long-term change
Experiential Activities
- Live demonstrations
- Meditations
- Group Discussions and Q&A
- Practice Breakouts
- Video Examples
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Retreat
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
LIVE in the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains
Sunday, March 30th – Friday, April 4th
Single Occupancy: $3,499.00
Interested in a payment plan? Get started for just half down today!
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Plus, earn up to 24 CE Hours — included in your tuition.
Click here for Credit details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
Meet Your Retreat Instructor
Dr. Alexia Rothman is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Atlanta, GA, since 2004. She is a Lead Trainer for the IFS Institute, a Certified Internal Family Systems therapist, an international speaker and educator on the IFS model, and an IFSI-approved professional consultant. Dr. Rothman offers workshops and retreats on the IFS model throughout the U.S. and internationally. She co-hosts the IFS-based podcasts IFS Talks and Conversas IFS, and has published a book chapter on the integration of IFS and Polyvagal Theory.
Dr. Rothman is a United States Presidential Scholar who graduated summa cum laude from Emory University as a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar. She received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where she was an Edwin W. Pauley Fellow and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She has held adjunct faculty positions at Emory University and Agnes Scott College.
To learn more about her, you can visit her website at dralexiarothman.com.
What does Tuition Include?
- Learn to integrate IFS therapy into your clinical practice
- Education, demos, and Q&As with an IFS Lead Trainer
- Up to 24 CE Hours, CE certificate & course manual
- Access to Ayurvedic spa*, yoga classes, group meditation, & fire circles
- Forest trails, labyrinth & peaceful location set in the stunning Blue Ridge Mountains
- Healthful (and tasty!) vegetarian cuisine
- Lodging, with private bathrooms, for the duration of your stay
*Spa requires reservations and additional cost. Paid services are not included with retreat registration – cost is the responsibility of the guest. Please contact Shankara Ayurveda Wellness in advance for more information.
The Art of Living Retreat Center – Boone, NC
Set in the breathtaking Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina, Art of Living Retreat Center (AOLRC) is the perfect place to restore your mind and body.
AOLRC is fully equipped to help you escape the rush of the outside world and ground yourself in nature. Walk in pristine forests, or unwind with fantastic views, AOLRC is yours to experience and explore.
Retreat Highlights:- Secluded retreat, offering 380 peaceful acres
- Private or shared lodging with private bathrooms
- Healthful vegetarian cuisine (3 meals daily)
- Beautiful mountain setting with gorgeous views and vistas
- Tranquil walking trails set in ancient forests
- Award-winning spa featuring Ayurvedic treatments & therapies (*Additional fees)
- Daily yoga and group meditation classes
- Awe-inspiring sunrises, sunsets, and stargazing
- Vedic architecture, labyrinths, and fire circles
- Direct shuttle service available from Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (Additional fees)
Retreat Location
The Art of Living Retreat Center
639 Whispering Hills Rd
Boone, NC 28607
Phone: (800) 392-6870
Travel Information
Art of Living is located within driving distance of several airports. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, NC is recommended due to availability of rental cars and direct shuttle to the retreat center. Please visit Art of Living’s website for detailed travel information and recommendations:
Retreat Center Travel Information
Please review the retreat’s schedule above and plan flights/travel accordingly.
Accessibility
Art of Living’s campus sits on top of a mountain, so it’s important to note the grounds are spacious and hilly. The entire campus is walkable and accessible. However, those with mobility issues may encounter difficult terrain. Please visit Art of Living’s website for more information:
Retreat Center Accessibility Information
If mobility is a concern, please contact the retreat center before registering with PESI.
Non-Participating Retreat Guests
Art of Living is an all-inclusive retreat center. All reservations are per individual, not per room. All individuals staying at the retreat center incur a room and board charge whether or not they are participating in the PESI educational training. If you are considering bringing a guest with you who will not be participating in the PESI educational training, please contact PESI at 800-844-8260.
CE Information
Please review the retreat’s credit information by clicking any of the “Click here for CE credit details” links found above.
PLEASE NOTE: Most licensing boards require full attendance to the entire program to receive any credit.
Please review the retreat’s schedule above and plan your travel accordingly to ensure full attendance to the program.
Travel Advisories
All attendees are advised to purchase travel insurance that includes a cancellation for any reason option to protect your travel plans.
If for any reason you are unable to attend, please contact us immediately:
Email: retreatinfo@pesi.com • Phone: 800-844-8260
Please check with your local government to see what advisories are in place before you travel. All flights are subject to the terms and conditions of your airline carrier’s policy travel plans.
From Purchase Date until February 28, 2025: Cancellation results in a full refund less a $100 administrative fee
From March 1, 2025 until March 30, 2025: Cancellation results in a 50% penalty of the total purchase amount
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy Retreat
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
Step-by-Step Strategies for Treating Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
LIVE in the breathtaking Appalachian Mountains
Sunday, March 30th – Friday, April 4th
Single Occupancy: $3,499.00
Interested in a payment plan? Get started for just half down today!
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Payment Plan available through 1/31/25
Plus, earn up to 24 CE Hours — included in your tuition.
Click here for Credit details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details
Don't see your state profession listed? Contact us. Credit hours may vary by board and profession.
Click here for cancellation policy details