Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
Because every part of you deserves compassion
What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?
Internal Family Systems (or IFS) is based on the theory that we are all born with both a core Self as well as unique parts that make up our internal system. These parts aren't fragmentations of a whole but rather integral aspects of our nature that make us the unique beings that we are.
As we move through life and experience rejection, confusing messages from the world around us, chronic misattunement, and for many, relational traumas, these parts can take on extreme protective strategies and painful burdens in response to our life experiences. IFS grounds us in a foundational understanding of the inherent goodness underlying even our most reactive strategies, reminding us that there is nothing broken within, even if vulnerable parts inside might hold that belief.
By bringing attention and genuine curiosity to our protective parts and the pressured or extreme strategies they use when they take over, we can begin to understand what they truly fear. Sometimes we may even recognize how these fears are based not only on current circumstances but on other experiences they've had to navigate throughout our lifetimes.
How IFS connects us to core qualities of healing
Our true healing comes from remembering that we are not only our parts—each of us was born with a core Self. No matter how disconnected we may feel, we never lose this connection, and there is a process to gently return where we can once again feel supported and guided from within.
In IFS, we believe our core Self gives us access to qualities such as:
Compassion
Creativity
Curiosity
Confidence
Courage
Calm
Connectedness
Clarity
These are the very qualities that can help us navigate any season of life, no matter how challenging.
Compassion to move forward
This is a process that develops over time, often with an attuned therapist supporting our parts' capacity to build trust outside of those overwhelming moments. When we offer genuine presence and curiosity to our parts, they begin to trust our core Self again and feel less pressured to take over in moments of overwhelm.
The beauty of building relationships with our protective parts is that even if they do take over with their protective strategies (because they're just responding to cues from our nervous system reacting to unsafe situations), the foundation of trust we've built gives us the opportunity to re-anchor within ourselves more quickly.
With self-compassion, we can ebb and flow more freely, honor our capacity in each moment, and gently step into the next one with clearer intention.