Clinician Spotlight: Alan Berkowitz, PhD.
Internal Family Systems℠ (IFS) therapy, developed by Richard Schwartz Ph.D., is more than just a method - it is a paradigm-shifting approach to develop a deep understanding and appreciation for every part of being. The IFS framework encourages a gentle inquiry that allows us to understand ourselves, our families, and the world in a new and holistic way.
The IFS Telehealth Collective is honored to have Alan Berkowitz, PhD., of California on the team. His collaborative and client-centered approach to IFS therapy draws from his personal history and years of training. We had the chance to sit down with Alan in California for a deeper dive into what draws him to IFS therapy and the importance of welcoming feedback from his clients.
Q: Can you tell us what led you to become an IFS therapist?
Alan Berkowitz: I am the only child of parents who survived the Holocaust, and lost many family members to Nazi violence. Being born into a family that did not have the psychological resources and emotional skills to process the many traumas they faced impacted me deeply. I experienced many fears as a young boy and discovered that life felt easier outside of home. Sports, peers, and school provided a refuge, and I was fortunate to have the support of my extended family members. Looking back on this time, I can appreciate that parts of me developed to protect me from overwhelming feelings of fear, grief, and anger.
My parents ultimately divorced, which came as a relief, and I found myself seeking guidance and support. In my father’s library, I came across the book How to Live Rationally in an Irrational World, by Dr. Albert Ellis. I devoured it and was able to apply some of Ellis’ ideas about separating from negative self-talk and responding in a more balanced way. I think it was then that I decided to become a psychologist.
After college, I was accepted into the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Colorado. During those years, I experienced a period of profound anxiety and depression. A deluge of stressors led to a tidal wave of all the feelings my protective parts were trying to keep from me. Although I would not wish depression on anyone, in retrospect, I am grateful that I experienced it. It provided me with a deeper understanding and greater compassion for others overwhelmed by fear and pain.
After earning my Ph.D. in 1977, my wife and I moved to Southern California, where I began my career. While working as a psychologist, I decided to enroll in a post-doctoral program at the Albert Ellis Institute (I hadn't forgotten the author of the first psychology book that I ever read!). Those four years of being mentored by Dr. Ellis and other Rational-Emotive Therapy practitioners were an exhilarating time of growth for me, culminating in becoming an Associate Fellow and certified supervisor at the Institute. I then studied with Dr. Christine Padesky, who taught me how to conduct Aaron Beck's cognitive therapy. During those years, I experienced cognitive-behavioral therapy first-hand as a client, which aligns with my belief that if one is to practice any method of therapy, one will benefit from experiencing it as a client. Not only did I benefit from this therapy, but I have also come to realize it can be seamlessly integrated with IFS.
Q: How would you describe your approach to therapy?
AB: If I were to pick one word, it would be "collaborative.” Psychological research supports the idea that the quality of the therapy relationship may be the most important variable in determining treatment outcomes. This means that the client needs to feel supported, respected, and understood during sessions, feel that therapy sessions are focused on the issues and goals they are most concerned about, and feel good about how they and their therapist address those issues. When these conditions are met, real growth and improvement occur. Although therapists tend to be empathic and perceptive, we are also human and need feedback from clients regarding progress and the quality of the therapeutic relationship. That’s why I tend to ask clients about their reactions to sessions and progress toward their goals on a fairly regular basis. These questions keep the therapy collaborative. Sometimes clients feel uncomfortable with something that is occurring between us. Frank discussions about those feelings can be the most enlightening and beneficial moments. I love doing therapy because I enjoy getting to know my clients in-depth. I trust that each person's system knows what it needs to grow and that each individual possesses a unique self-actualizing tendency (Self-energy). Overall, my goal is very practical: to help my clients make the specific and significant changes they want to make.
Q: What do you like most about IFS?
AB: I deeply appreciate how IFS invites us to meet all thoughts, feelings, impulses, memories, and experiences with a welcoming and curious attitude. When we approach our states of mind or parts this way, they tend to relax, and beneficial changes occur. This is true even for our highly self-critical and judgmental parts. When we learn to bring love and compassion to our most vulnerable places, we feel less alone and hopeless, and healing happens. Just as the presence of a compassionate person in times of distress is healing and comforting, the presence of our Self can help heal our burdened parts.
Q: Do you incorporate other modalities of therapy into your IFS work?
AB: I do! Because I am a lifelong learner, I continued to study other approaches and incorporate them into my work with clients. I have found Dan Wile's Collaborative Couples Therapy, Sue Johnson's Emotionally Focused Therapy, and the incredible evidence-based methods of John and Julie Gottman all to be invaluable in my work with couples. EMDR can be extremely helpful for emotional processing. My work with Beth Bardovi, a wonderful body-oriented therapist, opened me to experiencing emotional places within me that needed Self-energy. The therapy also introduced me to what Beth called my Core Self - a me that was calm, strong, wise, mature, and wonderfully supportive to my "inner children.” If it weren’t for this experience, I don't think I would have been open to IFS work.
A colleague of mine from the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration in 2015 told me that I should check out IFS. He’d experienced psychoanalysis, but it was IFS therapy that allowed him to make profound intrapsychic and interpersonal changes. Two years later, I enrolled in the first and only Level 1 IFS training in Los Angeles. It didn't take long to realize that I’d found my professional home.
IFS is an integrative model that allows me to include and expand upon all that I’ve learned in my long career. My personal IFS work has allowed me to process so many emotions and experiences that I hadn’t been ready to face. Because of this therapy, my most entrenched and resistant dysfunctional patterns have changed. In experiencing what IFS has done for me, I have come to trust that each of my clients, no matter what conflicts and issues they bring to therapy, also has Self-energy that can be accessed for their own healing. I have witnessed transformations that I couldn't have imagined had I not experienced transformations of my own.
Q: Now that we know more about you as a therapist, what might you share about your home life?
AB: I’m lucky to have been married to my wonderful wife, Kathy, for 44 years. Without her love and ongoing support, I wouldn't have grown into the imperfect but ever-evolving man I have become. She believed in me during those dark hours I mentioned.
I am also privileged to be the father of two adult children - Abby and Jesse. My eldest Abby lives nearby in L.A. with her eight-year-old daughter, and my son Jesse lives in San Francisco with his wife and two young sons. My grandchildren are an endless source of delight.
Q: What are your "go-to" methods of accessing Self Energy?
AB: I’ve been meditating since learning Transcendental Meditation in 1972. Daily meditation and prayer connect me with Self Energy. Hiking and walking with my wife take me out of my head and often lead to a heart connection with the natural world and with her. I also do pilates and love to play and watch sports. I play tennis three to four times a week, and being present at the contact moment, feeling my feet, and breathing consciously all help me access Self. Being with my grandchildren is another, and spending time with my close friends are other ways that I access Self-energy. In my work, I have developed a habit of noticing when I’m hijacked by a distressing thought or feeling and taking the opportunity to step back and make friendly contact with those experiences. This then connects me to my Self-energy. Sometimes I see the sweet, vulnerable child part in adult others and myself.
Q: What are your favorite books about therapy?
AB: My favorite author in psychotherapy is Dan Wile, whose books I enjoy like my favorite candy. Before all my couples sessions, I read a few paragraphs for inspiration. He was my mentor and sadly passed away recently. I love any of Irvin Yalom's books, ditto Paul Wachtel. I enjoy reading the Psychotherapy Networker magazine. The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk is a great resource for trauma work. For IFS: Internal Family Systems by Richard Schwartz and Martha Sweezy; Internal Family Systems Skills Training Manual by Frank Anderson, Martha Sweezy, and Richard Schwartz; and most recently, I am enjoying reading the Level 1 Training Manual by Mariel Pastor and Jennifer Gauvain.
Q: Finally, what is a fun fact about you?
AB: I’ll mention two: My first language is Hungarian, and I’m an exuberant Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball fan. I was in the bleachers with my son Jesse when Adam Kennedy hit three home runs to put the Angels into the World Series, which they won. Since then, sadly, things have not gone so well. But there’s always next year!
Does Alan Berkowitz sound like the therapist to guide you on your journey of Self discovery? If you are based in California, contact our Client Care Coordinator or call 503-447-3244 to schedule a consultation.
In the meantime, subscribe to our newsletter for updates and to receive a free copy of The Unburdened System Mandala. Don't forget to follow us on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
