Playful, Embodied, Creative Approaches to IFS with Holly Stoppit and Sarah Burns

Name: Playful, Embodied, Creative Approaches to IFS with Holly Stoppit and Sarah Burns
Start: 2025-11-29T10:00:00+00:00
End: 2025-11-30T17:30:00+00:00
Location: Bristol UK

Schedule

Sat, 29 Nov, 2025 at 10:00 am to Sun, 30 Nov, 2025 at 05:30 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

Bristol UK | Bristol, EN

A 2-day workshop from IFS-trained dramatherapists, Holly Stoppit and Sarah Burns!
This workshop was first presented in March 2025 and is back by popular demand for November 2025! This workshop is designed for a small group of therapists, counsellors and coaches (12 max). You don’t need to have any Internal Family Systems (IFS) training to attend. If you’re curious about exploring IFS through creativity, embodiment and play, then this is the workshop for you!
WHAT IS IFS?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic system which is based on the theory that we are all made up of many parts. These parts can show up as feelings, sensations, thoughts, memories, dreams, fantasies and in other ways.
Our parts don’t necessarily all get along, they can have very different wants, needs and values. IFS helps people to get to know their parts, discovering their qualities and the roles they play in the internal system. Through this exploration, people can develop a more compassionate relationship with their inner voices, which in turn can enable parts to let go of their burdens, freeing up bound-up energy in the system.
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE WORKSHOP?
Drawing on their individual experiences as therapists and facilitators, and their time together in the IFS / Clown / Fool research lab (more of this below), Holly and Sarah will introduce you to the basic concepts of IFS through a series of playful, embodied and creative experiential exercises.
You’ll be guided through a journey of discovery, getting to know your inner parts through meditation, art-work, movement, embodiment, voicework and journalling.
You will come out of the weekend with a range of tools and techniques that you can integrate into your personal and professional practice.
Please note: Although Sarah and Holly are trained in IFS through IFS-UK, this is not an official IFS training and will not count towards any IFS training credits. Through attending this workshop you will not be able to promote yourself as ‘IFS-trained’ but you will be able to call yourself ‘IFS-informed.’
THE DETAILS
Dates: 29th and 30th November 2025
Times: 10-5.30 both days
Location: Central Bristol, UK
Cost: £300 (standard) / £275 (low wage) / £250 (lower wage)
How to apply: Application form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScnEkGDpahM9xMR5P4aHSuydiEHuKGQBm8UPyo1dcj139cSrQ/viewform
Application Deadline: 3rd October 2025
Application process: After the deadline (October 3rd) we will select a group based on your experience, your reasons for wanting to attend, your age and gender. We have discovered that these kind of courses work best with either a very broad variety of people or specific unifying factors (ie all women/non binary people, all qualified psychotherapists, all people age 50+). We wait and see who turns up, then we create a group that will hopefully gel.
Access info: Ours is a brave and boundaried space, which is welcoming to people with mild-moderate mental health issues, people who identify as LGBTQ+, neurodivergent and people from the Global Majority.
We strive to make our spaces accessible to people with disabilities. The venue is wheelchair accessible - it has a wheelchair lift which takes you from ground floor level up 3 or 4 steps to the rest of the building, which is all one level. There is an accessible toilet with a sink in the cubicle. There are quiet spaces to rest in the building. For any other access needs, please let us know on our application form and we will find a way to accommodate you.
Covid / cancellation info: See below
WHAT WILL WE COVER?
Introducing some of the basic concepts of IFS:
>What are parts and how do you find them?
>Exploring the relationships between parts - ie ‘protectors’ and ‘exiles.’
>Exploring ‘Self’- the you that is not a part (aka your witnessing presence)
>Exploring Self-to-part relationships
HOW WILL WE WORK TOGETHER?
Holly and Sarah will create an environment that invites deep curiosity and the spirit of creative discovery through play. Everything throughout the weekend will be invitational and optional. You can adapt the exercises to suit your needs and sit out or rest at any point.
Holly and Sarah will offer a range of interactive talks, experiential embodied and creative explorations and structured space for sharing and discussion.
Solo explorations will include: meditations, artwork, writing and movement. Pairs and small group exercises will give you a chance to support each other to embody parts and get to know them from the inside.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
You’ll come out of the weekend with:
>Nourishment - we hope this weekend will help you fill up your well!
>A unique group experience, sharing playful, creative, deep, soulful, sacred, memorable time with a small group of people who hold space for others
>An embodied knowledge of the basics of IFS
>A range of creative and embodied ways to tap into your inner parts
>More of an awareness of the relationship between you and your parts and your parts and each other
>Inspiration to take into your client work
PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK
"Incredible. A beautifully welcoming space created with respect, love and care so that all parts can come out to play if they choose to."
"I loved it. I especially appreciated the mix of things: lecture, journaling, drawing, listening, dancing, humming, singing. I am inspired by how well made and well held the container for learning was."
"A brilliant experience. Do it, if you can!"
ABOUT THE FACILITATORS
Sarah Burns
Sarah Burns is an IFS Assistant Trainer and a Certified IFS therapist in private practice, based outside Bristol, UK. She started her IFS journey in 2017 and then began supporting on IFS trainings from 2018.
Since first training as an Integrative Counsellor and Group worker in 2001 and then completing a Dramatherapy MA in 2011, Sarah has worked with many different age groups, from children to young people and adults in various settings, including schools, colleges, and for different charities and organisations. As a Dramatherapist, her passion is bringing creativity, embodiment and playfulness into therapy. It was through Dramatherapy that Sarah discovered IFS and felt drawn to the model, which has become a way of life for her.
Sarah is a creative person who has used art as part of her personal IFS healing journey. She feels creativity for her is as fundamental as breathing. She is a sensitive and deeply relational person who loves all kinds of visual and performing arts and being in the company and connection of different circles of family and friends.
Holly Stoppit
Holly Stoppit has been studying parts work for the last 25 years, starting with Fooling; solo improvisation where the performer embodies all their inner voices. From 2010-2013, Holly studied for an MA in dramatherapy where explored various models of parts work including; Role Theory, Psychodrama and Voice Dialogue. Holly’s dissertation focussed on the mental health benefits of clown skills training.
Since 2013 Holly has been offering workshops for adults combining parts work, movement, voice, embodiment, meditation and creative reflection. Holly performed a TEDx talk about her pedagogy in 2019.
In 2021 Holly trained as a clinical supervisor with Relight (along with Sarah) and discovered IFS as her theoretical framework; this kick started her one-to-one therapy, supervision and creative consultancy work.
After this, Holly trained in IFS levels 1 and 2 (IFIO) as well as Somatic IFS (step 1) and has been integrating IFS into her workshops and one-to-one work since 2023. In 2024 Holly presented workshops in playful, embodied creative approaches to IFS at IFS-UK’s Open Space, Dramatherapy Southwest’s conference and The British Association of Dramatherapists’ conference.
About the IFS / Clown / Fool Research lab
Holly and Sarah are part of an IFS / Clown / Fool research group, along with fellow IFS-trained clowns and fools Angela Hayes and Saskia Solomons. They began meeting online during the pandemic to explore the meeting place of IFS and embodied play.
In 2024, they met up in person for two co-created research labs in Bristol and Nottingham. In 2025 they met again for a 4-day lab in Yorkshire. You can read about what happened in the first lab here: https://www.hollystoppit.com/blog/playing-with-parts
COVID CARE
There are still people who are vulnerable to covid and the facilitators want everyone to feel as safe as possible in the space.
We can't guarantee a Covid-free environment, but we can do our best to minimise the risks for people with compromised immunity and/or those who are connected with immune-compromised people.
>If you have any covid-like symptoms, please take a lat-flow test and please don't come if you have tested positive.
>All exercises can work with social distancing, if that is what you need. Please make sure that physical proximity is consensual.
>You are welcome to wear a mask if that makes you feel safer. We will not be asking people to wear masks.
>We will be working with windows open for ventilation, so please bring extra warm layers.
>We will have an open discussion and make a group agreement on the first day to make sure everyone feels safe and comfortable enough.
CANCELLATION POLICY
> If you need to cancel your place before the course begins, full refunds can only be given up until one month before the course starts.
> Should you need to cancel your place after this date, 50% of your payment will be retained, unless your place can be suitably filled.
> For drop-outs within one week of the start of the course, your full fee will be retained.
> If we need to cancel this course for any reason, you will be offered alternative dates. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled dates, then we will offer a refund.