Internal Family Systems vs. The Mace Energy Method: Which Approach Works Best?

When it comes to healing emotional trauma, different modalities take different routes. Here’s a guide to understanding which method is best for you.

Origins & Foundational Principles

Internal Family Systems (IFS) was developed by Richard C. Schwartz in the 1980s. It posits that the psyche comprises multiple sub-personalities, or “parts,” such as managers, firefighters, and exiles, all organised around a calm and compassionate core known as the Self. The model emphasises that each part has a positive intention, even if it operates dysfunctionally—and that harmony comes when the Self leads the internal system.¹²³

The Mace Energy Method^TM (MEM^TM), by contrast, comes from John Mace’s philosophy of Causism®. Instead of working with parts, MEM^TM holds that emotional upsets create negative identities—energetic patterns buried in the psyche. These don’t need to be managed or befriended; they can be dis-created entirely. MEM^TM is the practical technique for achieving that dis-creation quickly and permanently, rather than managing it.⁴⁵⁶

The Process in Practice

In IFS, the therapist helps a client enter a self-led state. From there, the client gently connects with inner parts: protectors (such as managers and firefighters) and vulnerable exiles. Protectors are acknowledged for their positive intent, while exiles are invited to unburden their pain when they feel safe. Over time, this ongoing dialogue creates more harmony and balance.¹³⁷

Conversely, MEM^TM offers a more direct method of resolution. The client focuses on an unwanted emotion; their mind then produces an image that represents the negative identity. Through guided attention, that image—and thus the underlying negative emotion—is dis-created entirely. No personal storytelling or emotional unpacking is necessary, and the shift is often immediate and permanent. Once gone, it does not return.⁴⁵⁸

Ongoing Management vs. Complete Dis-creation

IFS is an ongoing management process. Healing unfolds gradually, with the client learning to identify, soothe, and integrate parts over many sessions. While profound shifts can occur, the work is about continuously cultivating compassion, balance, and understanding among parts.¹²³

MEM^TM, on the other hand, is about complete resolution. By dis-creating the negative identity lodged in the psyche, the issue itself disappears—meaning there is nothing left to manage. Clients often report that what once triggered them simply no longer exists as a problem.⁵⁶⁸

Comparison in Key Areas

Philosophy

Internal Family Systems (IFS): Inner world as a family of parts, each needing compassion & balance¹ Mace Energy Method^TM (MEM^TM): Emotional upsets create negative identities lodged in the psyche that can be permanently dis-created⁴

Therapeutic Style

Internal Family Systems (IFS): Ongoing, narrative-rich, dialogic exploration of parts² Mace Energy Method^TM (MEM^TM): Rapid, image-based, minimal narrative; no disclosure needed⁵

Goal

Internal Family Systems (IFS): Manage and integrate parts for lasting harmony³ Mace Energy Method^TM (MEM^TM): Dis-create negative identities so the issue is gone⁶

Duration

Internal Family Systems (IFS): Typically long-term, ongoing practice¹³ Mace Energy Method^TM (MEM^TM): Often 1–2 sessions per issue⁵⁸

Outcome

Internal Family Systems (IFS): Greater self-awareness, ongoing balance of parts² Mace Energy Method^TM (MEM^TM): Permanent elimination of emotional upset⁴⁶

Client Experience

In IFS, clients often gain deep self-understanding. They may, for example, discover that a critical inner voice (a manager) is trying to protect them from failure, or that a numbing behaviour (a firefighter) is shielding them from old pain. These insights can be life-changing, but the process requires continued practice and engagement, since parts continue to surface in new contexts.¹³

In MEM^TM, the client doesn’t need to analyse or interpret their inner world. A practitioner doesn’t give advice or explanations—they simply guide the client through the dis-creation process. The result is usually immediate relief. Once a negative identity has been dis-created, it no longer resurfaces, freeing the client from the cycle of managing or revisiting it.⁵⁸

Which Path Fits Best?

IFS is suited for those who want to explore and understand their inner system in depth, and who are willing to engage in an ongoing relationship with their parts. It’s particularly powerful for those who value insight, self-compassion, and a steady process of personal growth.¹²

MEM^TM is best for people who are ready to let go completely of unwanted emotional patterns. It appeals to those who want fast, permanent results without having to revisit or narrate painful events.⁴⁵⁶

Conclusion

Both Internal Family Systems and the Mace Energy Method^TM offer pathways to emotional wellbeing—but they do so in different ways. IFS is about ongoing management, integration, and cultivating harmony among inner parts, while MEM^TM is about permanently dis-creating the root cause lodged in the psyche so the issue is gone once and for all.

Your choice may depend on whether you feel drawn to a reflective, ongoing journey of inner dialogue (IFS) or to a direct, efficient resolution of emotional pain (MEM^TM).

References

Schwartz, R. C. (1995). Internal Family Systems Therapy. New York: Guilford Press.
IFS Institute. (n.d.). Outline of the Internal Family Systems Model. Retrieved from
https://ifs-institute.com/resources/articles/internal-family-systems-model-outline
Verywell Mind. (2023). What Is IFS Therapy? Retrieved from
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-ifs-therapy-internal-family-systems-therapy-5195336
Causism® Institute. (n.d.). What is the Mace Energy Method^TM? Retrieved from
https://www.causisminstitute.com/about/mace-energy-method/
Expanding Awareness. (n.d.). About the Mace Energy Method^TM. Retrieved from
https://www.expandingawareness.com/about
Positive Health. (2002). The Mace Method for Emotional Healing. Retrieved from
https://www.positivehealth.com/article/mind-matters/the-mace-method-for-emotional-healing
EPG PubPub. (2021). Unburdening Exiles in IFS. Retrieved from
https://epg.pubpub.org/pub/wujn4nou
Strategies for Overcomers. (n.d.). The Mace Energy Method^TM. Retrieved from
https://www.strategiesforovercomers.com/the-mace-energy-method/