Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
A gentle way of understanding the parts of you that learned to protect you.
There are times when your inner world feels crowded — competing impulses, strong reactions, familiar patterns that don’t seem to respond to insight alone. You may understand why something is happening and still feel unable to change it. Internal Family Systems therapy offers a different way of listening inward — one that is curious, compassionate, and grounded in respect for your nervous system.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is an evidence-based, experiential approach that helps you understand and relate differently to the many parts that make up your inner world.
What Is Internal Family Systems Therapy?
IFS is based on the understanding that the mind is naturally made up of different parts — inner voices, emotions, beliefs, and strategies that developed in response to life experiences.
Some parts work hard to manage daily life, others try to protect you from pain, and some carry the weight of earlier wounds. Even the parts that feel frustrating or self-critical often formed with the intention of keeping you safe.
Rather than trying to eliminate or override these parts, IFS therapy helps you get to know them — slowly, respectfully, and without judgment.
How Parts Show Up in Therapy
Some of the experiences clients often bring into IFS therapy include:
An inner critic that feels harsh or relentless
A part that stays busy, productive, or in control
A part that avoids, numbs, or disconnects when things feel overwhelming
Younger parts that hold fear, grief, shame, or unmet needs
A sense of internal conflict — wanting change while also feeling stuck
Through our work, we will discover how these behaviors were created first out of protection and is a sign of your adapting to your environment.
The Role of Self in IFS Therapy
At the center of IFS is the concept of Self — a natural state of presence that already exists within everyone.
Self is characterized by qualities like calm, curiosity, compassion, and clarity. In IFS therapy, we tap into that natural state and we encourage the conditions for these qualities to emerge.
As Self becomes more accessible, parts often soften on their own. With trust building from connection with Self, the system can begin to heal.
What IFS Therapy Can Support
IFS therapy can be helpful for people navigating:
Developmental and complex trauma
Anxiety, chronic stress, or emotional overwhelm
Depression or emotional numbness
Shame and self-criticism
Relationship patterns and attachment wounds
Grief, loss, and complex bereavement
Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, IFS works at the level of internal relationships.
IFS Therapy at Waystone
My approach to IFS therapy is relational, paced, and deeply respectful of your internal system. I provide a lot of space and silence while in the experiential process in order for you to truly connect to your system instead of feeling led to answers by me.
Some sessions may involve gentle experiential work — noticing sensations, emotions, or imagery as they arise. Other times, therapy may look more conversational and reflective.
There is no right way to do IFS. We follow what feels present, accessible, and supportive for you.
All Parts of You Are Welcome
Nothing inside you needs to be pushed away or fixed.
By building a relationship with your inner world, therapy allows balance, flexibility, and trust to return from the inside out.
If you’re curious about IFS and want a gentle space to explore your inner world