• LIVE IN STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN •
JULY 13–14, 2026
Exploring the Spiritual and Developmental Nature of Self to Part Connection* In and Beyond Internal Family Systems
with Dr. David J Stern (IFSI Approved Consultant)
2 Day Live In Person Workshop
*Self = Witness consciousness or Awareness
Part = Subpersonalities, ego states, or anything that is alive in us.
Who this workshop is for
We warmly welcome practitioners and explorers from diverse therapeutic, psychological, and spiritual traditions. Whether your home is in Psychosynthesis, IFS, psychotherapy, coaching, contemplative practice, or another path of inner development, this course offers a meeting place for deep inquiry, personal growth, and professional enrichment.
When Self meets a part, when Witness Consciousness meets that which is alive in us, something remarkable happens.
A relational circuit closes and love flows.
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In that moment our psycho-biology shifts, healing commences, and—if we are rightly attuned—a deeper layer of reality reveals itself.
This workshop explores the dance that leads to that moment of connection and deeper nature of that moment.
Join Us
Location
Stiftelsen Psykosyntesakademin org.nr 813600-3764
Tengdahlsgatan 32 2tr
116 47 Stockholm, Sweden
Date
July 13-14, 2026
9am to 4pm
Cost
$550 USD
(plus TicketLeap fee)
~ 5000 SEK
Registration & Access
Because of costs related to renting the workshop venue, registrations are non-refundable.
Thank you for your understanding.
In Internal Family Systems (IFS), healing unfolds within the Self–part connection. But what really happens in that dance between Self and part, between Witness and witnessed, and what happens in that moment of contact? What deeper structure of human experience and reality does the Self–part dance and connection reveal?
Across contemplative traditions, developmental psychology, and modern psychotherapy, we find a remarkably similar pattern. In Kashmir Shaivism it appears as the dance of Śiva and Śakti. In Sufi poetry it appears as the longing of the lover for the Beloved. In attachment science it appears as rupture and repair. In IFS it appears as the meeting of part and Self.
This workshop explores the ways that these are not merely metaphors but different languages describing different dimensions of the same underlying structure of reality.
The underlying pattern looks something like this:
unity → differentiation → longing → recognition → reunion → continued differentiation within connection
We will explore how parts (in some traditions ego-states or subpersonalities) arise as differentiated wisdom expressions of life within the body and psyche, and how their sometimes extreme actions are a call for presence and love. When Self answers that call and turns toward a part, a relational circuit—what I call the Bridge of Love—is realized. The nervous system settles, psychobiological healing becomes possible, and a deeper dimension of reality is laid bare.
Through teaching/study, guided meditation, demonstrations, dyad or triad practice, and discussion, we will explore the lived experience of the unfolding Self–part connection and the different dimensions of being that emerge when that connection is established.
The workshop will also explore how this connection can inform everyday life through a simple practice in which attention remains rooted in the Self–part relationship while engaging the world. In this way, parts become living consultants/teachers that contribute wisdom to how we move through the world.
"David Stern is born to teach. He knows and experiences IFS in mind, body and heart, and conveys the concepts and the techniques from that deep well. He is kind, clear, and connected. I have seen him be part of a group and almost immediately be recognized as a leader, even if he wasn't in that role. People look to him for clarity and ever more expansive views of our inner system and the Self that permeates it."
–Mona Barbera, Ph.D.
author of “Bring Yourself to Love”
Workshop Structure
A 2-Day Immersive Workshop
Each section of the workshop includes meditation, experiential practice, teaching, demonstration, dyad/triad exploration, and group discussion.
Day 1 – Section 1
The Life of Love: Awareness, Longing, and the Living Psyche
We begin by exploring the foundational structure of human experience.
First, we remember ourselves as who and what we are; Awareness, Presence, or Self—the witnessing field within which all of life announces itself.
Then we turn toward what is alive within that field: our feelings, impulses, longings, protections, vulnerabilities, and the many dimensions of psyche that IFS calls parts.
Day 1 – Section 2
Introducing Primordial Structure and Exemplars
In this section we will, together, explore several psychological, philosophical, and spiritual texts that illuminate an underlying structure of reality encountered in the relationship between Awareness/Self and the living psyche.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･
Day 2 – Section 3
Sacred Tremor:
The Different Dimensions of the Self–Part Connection
We will do a deep dive into the Self-part connection. What actually happens in the subtle and profound dance of call and response between Self and part? As Self and part connect, something reliably magical happens and a quiet love-bomb is detonated.
We will explore this magical moment of connection and discover the all the dimensions of reality that are enlivened and laid bare.
Day 2 – Section 4
Living in Relationship - The 70/30 Practice:
This section introduces what I call the 70/30 Practice.
The 70/30 Practice involves turning toward challenging situations while allowing most of one’s attention to remain rooted in the relationship between Awareness/Self and psyche.
"Dr. David Stern brings profound wisdom and humanistic talents to his teaching. He combines years of solid experience using the IFS method with a deep communion with spiritual depths. His personal style is intensely supportive and connective and he brings a passion for the unfolding of the soul. Learning with David is a rich and transformative experience."
–Bonnie Weiss, LCSW
author of Self-Therapy Workbook
Join Us
Location
Stiftelsen Psykosyntesakademin
org.nr 813600-3764
Tengdahlsgatan 32 2tr
116 47 Stockholm, Sweden
Date
July 13-14, 2026
9am to 4pm
Cost
$550 USD
(plus TicketLeap fee)
~ 5000 SEK
Registration & Access
Because of costs related to renting the workshop venue, registrations are non-refundable.
Thank you for your understanding and for supporting the integrity of this learning space.
Dr. David J. Stern is a licensed psychologist, IFSI-certified consultant, and teacher with over 30 years of clinical experience. His work integrates Internal Family Systems with contemplative and non-dual traditions, supporting people in reconnecting with their innate vitality and wisdom.
