I have called five different towns in five different states “home” and as a transient product of my times I’ve found the experience of “community” to be fleeting. So it was a great treat to go to this year’s Internal Family Systems Conference and be amidst our warm and vibrant community over Halloween weekend in Chicago. When I return from this and past IFS conferences I feel more aware of what it means to be part of a community.

The conference itself was terrific. In the first plenary session we learned of some extraordinary research on the effectiveness of IFS as part of the treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Diabetes. The implications of this research—that IFS may well greatly reduce the physical symptoms of a medical disease, in addition to the emotional suffering that accompanies such diseases—are staggering. The next day’s session was moving and uplifting as we learned how the organization “Beyond Words” has brought Israeli and Palestinian women together through the application of IFS in a mission of peace and understanding. The notion that IFS is at once instrumental in the healing of the physical body and the rifts that exist between cultures is inspiring. The pre-conference sessions, the workshops, and the many sources of fun and entertainment made for a great experience and an expansion of this closely knit, yet worldwide community.

And finally, I wish all of you, your families, friends, and yes, your communities, a happy holiday season.
Sincerely,
Jon