Internal Family Systems® Workshop:

Minimizing Uncertainty – How IFS helps Autistics Thrive

A problem facing those who work with autistic clients is a lack of understanding what autism is. Rather than being defined by the characteristics listed in the DSM-V, we now know that those behaviors are the consequence of autism – a precise brain in an imprecise world. Science has been slow to catch up and use the predictive processing framework to explore autism as a condition of perceptual differences, rather than deficits in functioning. The deficit-based model taught in clinical programs increases the stereotyping and stigmatising experienced by autistic clients, worsening outcomes and increasing social isolation.

Sarah Bergenfield, PhD

Presenter: Sarah Bergenfield is a Certified Level 3 IFS practitioner and educator specializing in the embodied experience of autism. She is also an autistic. She holds a Masters Degree in Embodiment Studies and her thesis research is the foundation for a book she is writing with Martha Sweezy, to be published by New Harbinger in 2025. Sarah is currently a doctoral student in the Somatic Psychology Ph.D. program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, studying autistic umwelt, or, what it's like to be an autistic.  In 2022, Sarah presented at the IFS Conference on Using the IFS lens to Include the Autistic Experience in Therapeutic Spaces. Sarah works with all neurologies but particularly enjoys working with her fellow autistics.

Workshop Details

Date: Friday, June 13, 2025

Time: 2:00 to 5:15pm, Eastern Time Zone

Access: Live over Zoom

Learning Objectives

  1. Explain the importance of predictability to autistic clients.

  2. Help autistic clients understand how their brains work while helping them identify strategies to reduce overwhelm.

  3. Identify ways to adapt the IFS model to the needs of their autistic clients.

Sliding Scale Pricing

Regular Rate - $99: You are resourced enough to pay the standard rate for this workshop.

Assisted Rate - $49: Your resources are limited and prevents you from paying the standard rate.

Supporting Rate - $148: You are well resourced and would like to contribute to ensuring we can offer equitable access to others.

Before You Register: Important Information About This Workshop

We’re so glad you’re interested in this workshop! To help everything run smoothly, please read the following details carefully before registering.

Live Over Zoom Participation & Recording Access

This workshop is designed to be attended live online. We understand that schedules can be tricky, so we provide access to a recording as a courtesy. However, the recording is not the intended format for participation and is primarily for review.

  • The recording will be posted only in our learning management system (Thinkific), a few days after the live session.

  • It will not be emailed to you—it will be available exclusively in Thinkific.

  • The recording will be available for two weeks only before access is removed.

  • It cannot be downloaded and is available for online viewing only.

  • The recording is not available immediately. It will be posted a few days after the survey period has closed. We appreciate your patience!

  • *Once you register, you will automatically receive a welcome email that will provide your log-in link to the learning management system, Thinkific. If you don’t see this right away, please check your spam folder and contact ifs@challiance.org if you need further guidance.

Continuing Education (CE) Credits

  • We are unfortunately not able to provide continuing education credits for this particular workshop.

Zoom Participation Guidelines

  • Do not share your Zoom link with anyone else. Registration is per person, and sharing access is not permitted.

  • Ensure your Zoom display name matches the name you used to register. This is how we verify live attendance and prevent unauthorized access.

Refunds

  • Refunds are available up to 48 hours before the workshop start time. Refunds requested after this time cannot be granted.

  • No refunds will be issued on the day of the workshop or once the workshop has started.

  • If you need to cancel your registration, please notify us as soon as possible.

  • Refunds may be subject to a small processing fee.

We know this is a lot of details, but following these steps will ensure you have a seamless experience. Thanks for taking a moment to review everything—we look forward to having you in the workshop!

Please, CAREFULLY SELECT your sliding scale price choice below:

Featured News: CMC was awarded a research grant titled “Neural and physiologic effects of self-compassion on chronic pain” from the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital.  This grant provides seed funding for a pilot neuroimaging study examining self-compassion training for people experiencing chronic lower back pain.