Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Ketamine
IFS and Ketamine: A Note on Intentionality
As we prepare for the journey with ketamine, one of the most profound parts of the journey begins before we ever take medicine — in how we relate to the intention we bring.
In Internal Family Systems (IFS), we understand that every part of us carries its own hopes, fears, and agenda. When we begin preparing to enhance possibilities for deep healing and transformative experience by including ketamine, many of those parts become activated — especially our protectors.
Some of them might be eager, wanting to “make sure” that something important happens during the ceremony. Others might push for a specific outcome or hold a fixed idea of what healing should look like.
When we look closely, we often discover that this pushy or insistent energy doesn’t come from our HIghest Wisest Self — it comes from protectors who are working hard to prevent pain. They usually protect an exile — a younger, more vulnerable part of us that once carried unmet needs, grief, or shame.
The intensity of the protector’s agenda is a reflection of how much it fears that old wound being touched again.
If we set our intention from that place, it can unintentionally narrow the space of the experience. When a protector “forces” an intention, other parts of us may not get a chance to be heard. The system becomes polarized — one part takes control while others withdraw or resist.
That’s why our preparation work includes not only setting an intention but also uncovering where it comes from.
We’ll invite every part to voice its wish and check what’s underneath: What is this part trying to protect? What is it afraid might happen if it doesn’t get its way?
By doing this, we don’t reject the protector’s desire — we honor it. And as it feels understood, it can relax. This allows more space for Self-energy — curiosity, compassion, and clarity — to emerge. From that state, we can listen to other parts too, the ones that carry softer, quieter longings.
Eventually, an intention begins to form that feels more like an invitation than a demand — a shared choice that all parts can support.
When we enter the experience from that place of inner alignment, our whole system can trust the process. Nothing inside has to fight or push; we can simply open and surrender to what unfolds.
IFS, Ketamine Therapy, and Spirituality: A Path to Wholeness
At Plum Spring Clinic, we bring together the insights of Internal Family Systems (IFS), the healing potential of Ketamine-Assisted Therapy (KAT), and the deep wisdom of spiritual connection. Each of these approaches offers a doorway into the same essential truth: within each of us is an innate capacity for healing, compassion, and wholeness.
Healing from the Inside Out
IFS helps us explore the inner landscape of our minds — the parts that carry pain, the ones that try to protect us, and the Self that holds the qualities of calm, clarity, and compassion. In this inner work, we learn that every part of us, no matter how burdened or reactive, has a positive intention and a story worth understanding. Healing begins when these parts feel seen, respected, and welcomed home.
The Catalyst of Ketamine
Ketamine therapy can open a window into expanded awareness. In this non-ordinary state of consciousness, the usual boundaries of the mind soften. Protective patterns relax, long-held emotions may rise safely to the surface, and many clients experience a sense of spaciousness, connection, and perspective that feels profoundly spiritual. Within this expanded state, the qualities of Self often shine through with new clarity.
The Spiritual Dimension of Healing
While neither IFS nor ketamine therapy requires a particular spiritual belief, both can awaken a sense of something greater — a felt experience of unity, love, and belonging to the web of life. In these expanded states, some clients experience encounters that feel sacred or deeply meaningful — such as meeting guides, ancestors, or benevolent presences that offer insight, comfort, or support. These experiences, whether seen as expressions of the psyche or connections to the spirit world, can provide profound reassurance and a sense of being accompanied on the healing journey.
Integration work helps anchor these realizations in daily life, allowing spiritual insight to become embodied compassion and authentic expression.
A Synergy for Transformation
Together, IFS and ketamine therapy create a powerful and compassionate container for transformation. IFS provides the language and guidance to navigate what arises; ketamine opens access to the deeper realms of the psyche and spirit. The combination invites not only healing from trauma but also a remembrance of who we truly are — whole, connected, and free.