Foundations Course
16-Week Live, Experiential IFS Course
Led by Sigrid Kulkowitz, LMFT · Certified IFS Therapist & Approved IFS Consultant
Begin your transformational IFS journey. This live, experiential course introduces you to the IFS model and helps you internalize the learning through extensive practice with experienced IFS professionals.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
Theory, practice, and presence.
01
Deep Understanding
Deepen your understanding of the IFS model through teaching that honors both theory and the spirit of the work.
02
Immersive Environment
Engage in immersive, live practice with peers, gaining fluency to apply the model skillfully and compassionately,
03
Expert Guidance
Receive expert guidance and
experiential practice to integrate IFS into your work with nuance, integrity, and care.
04
Support Others
Reconnect with the spiritual, selfhealing essence at your core, and learn to support others in doing the same.
TESTIMONIALS
What students say about Sigrid.
“Sigrid has a gift for creating space where every part feels seen and respected. She brings such presence and care that protective parts begin to soften—not through persuasion, but through genuine attunement. She doesn’t just explain IFS she
lives it.”
Deep Understanding
“Sigrid’s teaching was both creative and clear. She demonstrated how IFS can benefit many fields, from therapy to life coaching, and brought warmth and patience to every session. It’s clear how passionate she is about IFS, and that passion is contagious.”
Support Others
Faculty
Meet your teacher.
Sigrid Kulkowitz
Teacher
- Certified IFS Therapist
- Certified IFS Consultant & Clinical Supervisor
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT)
Schedule
8 bi-weekly sessions
52 hrs
Live online group class contact time, plus recorded demos, portal access, and handouts.
4 modules
16 consecutive weeks, each module with 4 sessions. Sessions 1 & 4 run 3.5 hrs; sessions 2 & 3 run 3 hrs.
Every Tuesday
August 25 – December 22, 2026 (except Nov 24).
Sessions 1 & 4
9:00 am – 12:30 pm ET (New York)
6:00 am – 9:30 am PT (Oregon)
2:00 pm – 5:30 pm UK (London)
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm IST (India)
Sessions 2 & 3
9:00 am – 12:00 pm ET (New York)
6:00 am – 9:00 am PT (Oregon)
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm UK (London)
6:30 pm – 9:30 pm IST (India)
Schedule
8 bi-weekly sessions
August
25 | 29
September
1 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 29
October
6 | 13 | 20 | 27
November
3 | 10 | 17
December
1 | 8 | 15 | 22
INVESTMENT
$2,300
one-time fee
or a payment plan: $600 intro + 4 × $500/month ($2,600 total)
Deposit refundable until January 5. No refunds after January 6.
EACH MODULE FOL LOWS THIS STRUCTURE
What will you learn each
module?
There will be 4, four-week modules. Each module follows the structure below.
🌟 Week 1 - Teaching & Demonstration / 3.5 hours
What to Expect in Our Sessions
In our first gathering, we’ll take time to settle in—greeting one another, establishing shared guidelines for safety and connection, and orienting ourselves to the core principles of the IFS model. We’ll begin with an overview of the three primary types of parts typically encountered in sessions, and introduce the foundational concept of Self and Self-energy.
In the weeks that follow, we’ll explore topics such as:
Building trusting relationships with Protectors
Working with your own Therapist Parts
Mapping and understanding your internal system
The process of unburdening Exiles
Introducing IFS to both new and existing clients
Throughout the course, we will return again and again to a central IFS practice: learning to speak for your parts, rather than from them—a skill that deepens self-awareness and supports client work at every level.
Most weeks, one participant will be invited to volunteer for a live demonstration. These sessions are powerful opportunities to witness the model in action. You’ll be invited to engage internally during these demonstrations—not as a performance or role-play, but as a space to do real, personal work. Knowing and tending your own system is essential to becoming an effective IFS practitioner.
All sessions will be recorded and available for later viewing, so you can revisit the material or catch up if you’re unable to attend live.
🌟 Week 2 & 3 - Practice Groups / 3 hours
Weeks 2 & 3: Guided and Peer Practice
In Week 2, you’ll engage in a supervised practice session facilitated by one of our experienced Program Assistants (PAs). These sessions take place in small groups of three to four participants, using a secure, HIPAA-compliant* Zoom platform. Your PA will serve as a supportive consultant and coach, helping you apply the IFS model skillfully while also tending to any parts of you that may arise during the process.
In Week 3, you’ll reconvene with the same practice group—this time without a PA—to deepen your confidence and connection within a peer-led environment.
Each practice group will rotate across the four modules, giving you the opportunity to work with different people and styles. In each session, you’ll take turns in the roles of therapist, client, and observer. You’ll have up to 45 minutes in the therapist role, followed by time for reflection, feedback, and integration—up to 15 minutes after each session.
These practice sessions are the heart of your learning journey, offering real-time opportunities to embody the IFS model and grow in both skill and self-awareness.
Confidentiality and Group Agreements
To create a space where true healing and learning can occur, all participants are expected to uphold clear agreements around confidentiality, respect, and self-leadership. What is shared within your practice groups—whether spoken, witnessed, or felt—remains within that circle. We ask each participant to approach both their own system and others’ with care, curiosity, and compassion. These shared commitments help cultivate a sense of safety and trust, allowing the work to unfold with depth and integrity.
*HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) A United States legislation that provides data privacy and security provisions for safeguarding medical information.
🌟 Week 4 - Consultation Group / 3.5 hours
Large Group Integration and Consultation
We will reconvene as a full group for integration, reflection, and continued learning. You’ll be invited to bring questions that have emerged from your practice sessions or from engaging with the theory. This is a space where we can pause, go deeper, and support one another in real time.
If you’re feeling stuck with a particular client or uncertain about how to apply the model, we may choose to explore a live piece of work together. This may include tending to therapist parts that have been activated in the course of your client work. These sessions often offer powerful clarity and the potential for personal unburdenings.
This is also a valuable forum for getting to know and care for your own therapist parts. Challenging clinical dynamics, such as working with suicidality, trauma, addictions, or difficulty unblending, are welcome topics in this space. Together, we will approach these complexities with steadiness, compassion, and shared wisdom.
All group consultation sessions will be recorded and made available to you for review at your convenience.
ABOUT THIS COURSE
A deeply experiential approach to learning IFS.
This 16-week intensive is for therapists, coaches, and healing professionals who want to engage deeply with the Internal Family Systems (IFS) model—not just learn about it, but practice it.
Each week, we will explore key aspects of IFS through:
⭐ Live teachings and demonstrations to see the model in action.
⭐ Guided practice groups with Program Assistants for hands-on experience.
⭐ Opportunities for personal exploration—because knowing your own system is key.
⭐ A collaborative learning community to support your growth beyond the course.
⭐ 48 CE credits available for social workers and counselors.
In this course you'll also receive:
⭐ 10 hours of video demos & learning.
⭐ Class sessions recorded, with access for 6 months.
⭐ A community calendar of free live events and discussions with top and emerging IFS leaders.
⭐ 25% discount for all workshops while you are in the course.
⭐ 105 additional resources and exercises.
Readings & Resources
Required reading for the course:
“Internal Family Systems Therapy, Second Edition” by Richard C. Schwartz and Martha Sweezy (available
from the IFS Institute™ Bookstore)
Recommended readings:
- “Introduction to Internal Family Systems Therapy” by Dick Schwartz
- “Many Minds, One Self” by Dick Schwartz and Robert Falconer
- “Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS,
Third Edition” by Jay Earley, PhD
- “Introduction to Internal Family Systems Therapy” by Dick Schwartz
- “Many Minds, One Self” by Dick Schwartz and Robert Falconer
- “Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS,
Third Edition” by Jay Earley, PhD
More resources:
You will have access to many handouts supporting all elements of this course, plus a collection of recorded demos to help you see the model in action. Students will have access to nearly 100 unique resources for continued learning and growth. The IFSCA website has many resources — the 10-part video series “IFS for Therapists” is invited viewing during the course, along with the five-episode series “IFS Q&A” (both found on the IFSCA website).
WHO CAN JOIN & WHAT TO EXPECT
Every cohort,twice a year.
The course runs twice a year, with a minimum of 15 participants and a maximum of 18. It is open to social workers,
therapists, counsellors, coaches, and other healing professionals. The cost for the entire 4-month course is USD $2,300 —
after paying the full amount, your registration is automatically complete.
48 CE Credits for Social Workers, Counselors, and Marriage and Family Therapists are available through NASW
authorization # RI-9721 (please check with your local licensing boards to confirm acceptance). There is a fee of $20.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund of registration fee, a USD $125 admin fee will be applied. Payment may be refunded up to 4 weeks prior to the start date. There are no refunds within 4 weeks of the start date.
Partial Scholarships
To accommodate participants from diverse economic backgrounds, we offer significantly reduced fees and a limited number of scholarships. Individuals with limited financial resources or experiencing financial hardship are also eligible for a reduced fee or payment plan.
The course runs twice a year, with a minimum of 15 participants and a maximum of 18. It is open to social workers, therapists, counsellors, coaches, and other healing professionals. The cost for the entire 4-month course is USD $2,300 — after paying the full amount, your registration is automatically complete. 48 CE Credits for Social Workers, Counselors, and Marriage and Family Therapists are available through NASW authorization # RI-9721 (please check with your local licensing boards to confirm acceptance). There is a fee of $20.
Every cohort,twice a year.
To receive the greatest benefit, it’s ideal to be working one-on-one with others in a professional or healing capacity — whether as a therapist, coach, guide, or caregiver. While this course is rich and comprehensive, it is not affiliated with the IFS Institute™ and does not lead to any IFS Institute™ credential, designation, or digital
badge. Those seeking an IFS Institute™ credential must complete the IFS Institute’s own foundational program and all requirements directly through the IFS Institute™.
A Note on Safety and Self-Leadership
IFS is not just a treatment modality—it is a way of being. And the only way to truly learn it is by turning inward, with courage and care, toward your own internal system. This means you will be stirred, activated, and moved. That is not a problem; it is the path. Each trigger is an invitation to meet your parts with compassion and to uncover the gifts they carry.
We are committed to co-creating a learning community rooted in emotional safety, curiosity, and mutual respect. As we learn together, we will practice applying the very tools of IFS to whatever arises—individually and collectively—so growth and healing happen in real time, not just in theory
Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy (Lic. #004115) is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapists and Professional Counselors to offer continuing education for social workers, marriage and family therapists and professional counselors. Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy (Lic. #PSY000215) is approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Psychology to offer continuing education for psychologists. Phoenix Center for Experiential Trauma Therapy maintains responsibility for the program.
The journey begins August 23.
Are you ready to see the whole
picture?
Not ready for the full course? Join our free community first →