INTERNAL FAMILY SYSTEMS

IFS Therapy

“And there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own that kept you company as you strode deeper and deeper into the world, determined to do the only thing you could do – determined to save the only life you could save.” Mary Oliver

THE PROCESS

How It Works

IFS is based on the idea that we all have different “parts” of ourselves that developed to help us navigate life. Therapy helps you understand these parts with curiosity and compassion rather than judging or trying to get rid of them.

  • Notice Your Parts

    We identify the different thoughts, feelings, and patterns that show up in different situations.

  • Get Curious

    Instead of asking “What’s wrong with me?” we explore what a part of you may be trying to protect or accomplish.

  • Understand the Role of Each Part

    We look at how these patterns developed and what they may have been protecting you from.

  • Connect With Your Self

    We work toward accessing a calmer, more compassionate, and grounded part of you that can respond with greater clarity.

  • Build Internal Trust

    Over time, your parts can begin to feel heard, understood, and less responsible for keeping you safe.

  • Practice New Ways of Responding

    With more compassion and flexibility, you can begin responding to yourself and others differently.

Who is IFS for?

For those wanting to understand themselves with curiosity and compassion and create greater internal balance.

IFS may be a good fit if you:

  • Feel like different parts of you want different things

  • Are hard on yourself or have a strong inner critic

  • Feel disconnected from your emotions or unsure what you need

  • Notice recurring patterns you understand intellectually but have difficulty changing

  • Want to develop greater self-compassion

  • Have experienced difficult or overwhelming relationships or experiences

  • Want to explore your emotions without judging or pathologizing them

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • IFS can be incorporated into trauma therapy to help you understand protective responses and approach difficult experiences with greater compassion and emotional safety. It can also be helpful for concerns that aren't specifically trauma-related.

  • No. The goal isn't to get rid of parts. Instead, we work toward understanding and appreciating the ways they have tried to help you while creating more flexibility in how they respond

  • Parts are different aspects of ourselves that can show up in different situations. You might have a perfectionist part, an anxious part, a people-pleasing part, or a part that wants to withdraw. IFS helps us understand these parts rather than fighting against them. In ISTDP and other psychodynamic approaches, we refer to these as defenses. Parts is a more accepting and less pathologizing term I prefer to use but we can work to find a language you connect with.

  • Nope! Having different “parts” is not the same thing as having multiple personalities or a dissociative disorder. IFS uses parts as a way of understanding the different thoughts, emotions, and protective patterns that naturally exist within us.

  • That's completely okay! You don't need to arrive knowing your parts or have names for them. We can simply start with what's happening for you in the moment and become curious about it together.

Ready to reconnect with yourself?

Book a free 15-minute consultation to share what's going on, ask questions, and see if we're the right fit.

Lets Connect →