Direct Access in IFS: A Practical Clinical Deep Dive

What Is Direct Access in IFS?

Direct Access is the IFS method in which the therapist speaks directly to a client’s internal experience, especially when the client is blended, overwhelmed, or unable to access enough Self energy to engage through Insight.

Direct Access is often one of the most powerful and under-taught skills in IFS.
Many therapists don’t learn how it should sound, how to phrase questions naturally, how to stabilize protectors, or how to shift between implicit and explicit work without it feeling strange or forced.

This course teaches you exactly how to do that.

You’ll learn how to conduct full IFS interviews entirely through Direct Access, making the model accessible even to clients who dislike parts language or who need more support early in the process.

You will leave with a robust, multi-page list of specific example questions for both implicit and explicit Direct Access, all written to feel natural, conversational, and clinically grounded.

Why This Matters

Some clients:

• Stay fully blended

• Reject or struggle with parts language

• Shut down when asked to “turn inward”

• Need stabilization before Insight

• Work beautifully through Direct Access — when the therapist knows how to do it

IFS is not just Insight work.
You can do every phase of the 6 Fs through Direct Access, and for many systems, this is the most effective and least activating path.

This training shows you exactly how to do it confidently.

Training Schedule

8:00 – 9:15 AM PST: Foundations of Direct Access:
Implicit vs. explicit direct access, when to use each, how Direct Access fits into the IFS continuum, and how to shift toward Insight.

9:15 – 10:00 AM PST: Live Demonstration #1
Full implicit direct access interview with real-time teaching commentary.

10:00 – 11:00 AM PST: Direct Access Skills & Question Language
Using the 6 Fs through DA, finding the right “voice,” building safety, stabilizing protectors.

11:00 – 11:30 AM PST — Lunch Break

11:30 AM – 12:15 PM PST: Live Demonstration #2
Explicit direct access demonstration with debrief.

12:15 – 1:45 PM PST Practicum
Small groups with coaching, practice implicit and/or explicit DA in structured scenarios.

1:45 – 2:00 PM PST: Closing, Integration, Q&A, next steps.

What’s Included

• 5.5 hours of live training

• 5.5 NBCC CE

• Two full-length demonstrations (implicit + explicit)

• 90-minute supervised practicum

• Comprehensive Direct Access question bank (PDF)

• Multi-page reference handouts for implicit & explicit Direct Access

• Downloadable PDF of all 6 Fs prompts rewritten for Direct Access

• Access to the full course recording for 1 year

• Certificate of completion

Who This Training Is For

Perfect for therapists and mental health providers who:

• Have clients who stay blended or overwhelmed

• Work with clients who resist or dislike parts language

• Want Direct Access to feel natural, not clinical or strange

• Want specific, concrete example questions to use

• Are confused about when to use implicit vs. explicit Direct Access

• Want to stabilize protectors without activating them

• Want to get better at knowing when to shift into Insight

If you want Direct Access to feel fluid, confident, and connected — this course is for you.

What You Will Walk Away With

By the end of the day, you will be able to:

• Engage any client through implicit or explicit Direct Access

• Stabilize and deepen rapport with protectors

• Use the entire 6 Fs through Direct Access

• Shift smoothly between implicit → explicit → insight

• Find language that feels natural, grounded, and non-pathologizing

• Maintain Self Energy even when the client cannot

• Make IFS accessible to clients who otherwise could not do it

• Conduct IFS interviews without mentioning “parts” at all (when needed)

You’ll leave with confidence, clarity, and a full toolkit of language you can use immediately.

Course Fee: $295