Welcome to IFS Gender Journeys
What will you experience if you join an online IFS Gender Journey?
This online workshop will be experiential and educational. Through lectures and IFS exercises designed specifically for this workshop , you will
What will you learn?
Alessio and Anna Thomas will walk you through key concepts that are needed to identify and heal burdens and traumas that are specific to gender-related issues. We will explore
The concept of disenfranchised grief for LGBTQIA+ and queer-adjacent allies
How to apply and adapt IFS protocols when working with LGBTQIA+ people
How to facilitate each other in exploring and healing gendered trauma
Who are IFS Gender Journeys for?
They are for IFS-informed and IFS-trained professionals (both therapists and practitioners) who want to explore their gender journey and want to help others explore and heal in a similar way.
We ask that all participants have completed some basic IFS training and that they are familiar with
The language and concepts of Parts
The techniques of in-sight and direct access
The concept and the experience of Self
The 6 F’s
The healing Steps to unburden exiles
You will learn new tools and you will work in small groups facilitating each other with little of no supervision. It is, therefore, important that participants are confident that they can remain Self-led when holding the space for someone else.
What are IFS Gender Journeys?
Gender has been surrounding us since before birth. The gendering process starts from before we take our first breath in the womb. A gendered name is usually chosen for us as well as the colour of clothes. As we grow up our choices are measured against what boys and girls are supposed to do and like.
My dear colleague Anna Thomas and I have been giving plenty of thought to the impact of gender constructs on our lives, and we realised that we have all walked our own unique gender journey through life.
IFS gender journeys are the stories and the experiences of our relationship to gender seen from an IFS (Internal Family Systems) perspective.
What is Gender?
While biologically our bodies can seem to be divided into “male” and “female” (and we know that at a physical level this distinction is not clear), gender is a social construct.
This means that the concepts of man, masculinity, boy, brotherhood, woman, femininity, girl, sisterhood, etc. are human creations that we have been surrounded by since before birth, and that influence many aspects of our life.
Join us to create a healing space around gender
It is often difficult to see and notice gender-related issues for people who have never questioned their own gender or have never had their gender questioned by others. For other people, their gender journey is the most important aspect of their life, especially if they are re-defining their gender, perhaps by looking into the pronouns they want to use.
Perhaps someone very close to you (a sibling, a child, a parent, a relative, a close friend, a lover, a partner) is questioning their gender. Perhaps you are an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community who is involved in campaigning and advocating for a better gender journey for everybody.
Meet the trainers
Alessio Rizo (He/They), MA, MSc
IFS Trainer
IFSI Approved Clinical Consultant
Certified Level 3 IFS Psychotherapist
Alessio creates and presents workshops and lectures on topics related to the LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent communities. He works online worldwide with clients who would like IFS therapy, and with professionals who would like IFS Clinical Consultation and Supervision. They have extensive experience working with sexual, gender and neurodiversity issues.
Dr Anna Thomas Tijsseling
Journalist, Historian, Therapist
Inspired by Geertje Mak's Manly Women, I started aspiring an academic career
In 2018, witnessing increasing numbers of young people burning out I decided to change careers: I started my private practice
Retrained as a coach/ counselor, I developed the Outsmarting the Impostor and other self-defeating dynamics workshop - parts work before I knew what parts work was
Full Workshop Details
Online Zoom workshop
2 and a half days - 19th, 20th and 21st June 2025
New York (ET) Day 1-2: 7:30 AM to 3:30 PM, Day 3: 7:30 AM to 10:30 AM
London (BST) Day 1-2: 12:30 PM to 8:30 PM, Day 3: 12:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Central Europe (CEST) Day 1-2: 1:30 PM to 9:30 PM, Day 3: 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Cost € 675* (please read note for low cost option)
Trainer: Alessio Rizzo, MA, MSc
Assistant/ Organiser: Dr Anna Thomas Tijsseling
Max. no participants: 18
Language: English
*With full capacity, we're pleased to offer 3 low-cost seats for those who may benefit from them. If this opportunity resonates with you, please feel free to reach out: welkom@authentiekepraktijken.nl. We kindly ask that those who are able to pay the full fee refrain from asking for these seats, in the spirit of making space for others who truly need it. Thank you for your understanding and generosity.
Practical questions and/ or concerns may be directed at: welkom@authentiekepraktijken.nl
Twin website by Anna Thomas here
To apply, please fill in this form by clicking here - once we have contacted you and confirmed your participation, you can secure your spot with a non-refundable down payment of €250. The remaining balance after the down payment needs to be paid in full by 19.05.2025.
