The UK IFS Open Space: a talk with Liz Martins

After a career in social work management, Liz became interested in alternative approaches to leadership and organisational change, working as an independent consultant and facilitator for public services. She particularly engaged with participatory approaches based on ideas around systems theory, including Open Space Technology. In 2008, Liz trained in psychosynthesis, a model that has many similarities with IFS, not least the idea of sub-personalities and a core self, within a spiritual context. She qualified as a therapist and set up in private practice, with an emphasis on working with trauma. She trained in other (Therapeutic )  modalities including EMDR and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, but since discovering IFS a few years later this has been her map for understanding and navigating the world, inside and out. Liz is an experienced IFS therapist and has been a PA many times. Her travels with IFS over the last few years have taken her to cities Madrid, Copenhagen, South Korea and Bali, as well as to the IFS conference in Denver. Currently she is working as ‘lead PA’ on online L1 and L2 trainings internationally. Alongside her therapy practice, Liz continues to work from time to time as an Open Space facilitator. With colleagues, in 2018 she organised the first Open Space weekend for the IFS community in the UK. This has now become an annual event and next year’s will be the fourth. In between all this, she continues - and enjoys - her private practice as an IFS therapist and supervisor, based at her home in Bath in the UK. Podcast Feedback and Interview Request welcome at https://internalfamilysystems.pt/ifs-talks