About This Course

This one-day training is an expanded, experiential version of the material presented by Kendhal Hart and Alyce Messer at the IFS Annual Conference in 2025. The conference session focused on a core problem in learning and applying IFS: Self Energy is central to IFS, yet many therapists and clients struggle to understand what it actually looks like or how to access it in real life.

This training takes that work further by making Self Energy tangible. Instead of presenting Self as an ideal state that looks calm and compassionate, we teach you how to recognize Self as something that shows up in micro-moments and in diverse, embodied ways. You will learn how to spot it, feel it, name it, and extend it to clients in a grounded, practical manner.

A common question in IFS is: During Direct Access, the therapist is supposed to be the Self Energy in the room. But how?! This training answers that question with clarity and step-by-step demonstrations. You will leave with specific ways to embody Self Energy, so it becomes a reliable, repeatable skill rather than something abstract or mysterious.

Throughout the day, you will work with real-world examples, somatic cues, pop culture references, and experiential exercises to anchor the 8 Cs and the Super Cs in ways that are memorable and accessible. Breakout spaces are built into the training flow so participants can reflect, digest the material, and share insights with one another.

What You Will Learn

The training emphasizes practical, usable, and immediately applicable skills.

Apply Foundational Skills

• Understand Self Energy as a spectrum rather than a perfect state

• Recognize Self through somatic cues and nervous system markers

• Track micro-moments of Self in daily life and clinical work

• Understand how trauma, culture, and neurodivergence shape how Self energy presents

• Work with the autonomic ladder to support access to Self

The 8 Cs in Real Life

You will learn real-world, embodied, inclusive definitions of each C. For each quality, you will learn:

• Micro-moments

• Felt sense cues

• Common distortions

• Parts-driven lookalikes

• Pop culture examples

• Clinical applications

• How each C shows up during Direct Access

Extending Self Energy to Our Clients: The Practical How

This section teaches the specific skills that help therapists be the Self energy in the room, including:

• How to embody Self energy through tone, pace, breath, and presence

• How to offer co-regulation without taking over

• How to stay steady when therapist parts get activated

• How to reflect Self energy to clients in ways that invite internal leadership

• What to say and what not to say during Direct Access

• Micro-interventions that shift the room

Therapist Parts

You will learn to identify common clinician protectors, including urgency, idealization, over-helping, insecurity, perfectionism, and skepticism. You will practice:

• Spotting when these parts take over

• Understanding what they fear

• Returning to Self in a steady and embodied way

Client Applications

You will learn how to:

• Identify clients’ micro-moments of Self

• Normalize diverse expressions of Self energy

• Use microdosing and titration for clients who find calm unsafe

• Help clients experience Self without forcing it

• Use somatic cues, imagery, and language to increase Self access

Additional Skills and Takeaways

In addition to the core material, the training includes several practical elements that help anchor Self energy in everyday language and lived experience:

• Creative teaching methods. You will learn how to use metaphors, pop culture, and accessible examples to help clients recognize Self energy without jargon.

• Blended Self qualities. You will explore the Super Cs, including Capacity, Capability, Presence, and Centeredness, and learn how they appear naturally during clinical work.

• Tracking Self over time. You will develop your own Self Energy Log, a personalized framework for observing and strengthening the 8 Cs in yourself and your clients.

Upcoming Course Schedule: January 15, 2026

The day alternates between teaching, demonstrations, and breakout spaces.

8:00 AM to 2:00 PM Pacific Time on Zoom

Lunch: 11:00-11:30 AM Pacific Time

Who This Training Is For

This workshop is designed for therapists, counselors, EMDR clinicians, IFS practitioners, coaches, and anyone working with internal systems who want a realistic, inclusive, and embodied understanding of Self Energy. It is especially helpful for clinicians who want to improve their ability to stay in Self during challenging moments, strengthen their ability to stay in Self in sustainable ways, and help clients access Self in sustainable ways.