What IFS is
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based approach built on a simple, generous idea: the mind is naturally made up of parts, and none of them are bad. The anxious part, the critical part, the part that numbs out, the part that people-pleases, each one took on its job at some point to protect you, often when you were young and had fewer options. Beneath all of them is what IFS calls the Self: a calm, curious, compassionate core that's never damaged, only sometimes crowded out.
IFS therapy is the process of helping your parts trust that Self enough to relax. Instead of fighting your inner critic or trying to willpower your way past anxiety, you get to know those parts, understand what they're afraid would happen if they stopped, and help them let go of burdens they've carried for years. Parts don't disappear; they get to do something better with their energy.
What IFS helps with
Because it works with the underlying pattern rather than the surface symptom, IFS is useful across a wide range of struggles. In my practice it's especially helpful for:
- Anxiety and perfectionism, where a protector is working overtime to keep you safe
- Trauma, where exiled parts still carry the pain and fear of what happened
- Depression and shutdown, where parts have decided that feeling nothing is safer than feeling
- A harsh inner critic and low self-worth
- Relationship patterns that repeat no matter who you're with
- Inner conflict about decisions: "part of me wants to, part of me can't"
What an IFS session is like
It's more conversational and less mysterious than it sounds. We might notice a feeling that's come up, get curious about the part behind it, and ask what it's worried about. I'll help you stay in a curious, compassionate stance toward that part rather than being taken over by it. Over time, parts that have been at war with each other, like the one that pushes you and the one that collapses, start to cooperate, and you feel more like yourself more of the time.
I integrate IFS with EMDR for trauma processing, somatic work for what lives in the body, and attachment-based and DBT-informed tools as needed. IFS gives the work its shape; the rest fills in where it helps.
What to expect
We start with a free 15-minute consultation so you can ask questions. If it feels like a fit, our first session is a relaxed intake where we explore what's bringing you in. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly, held online via secure, HIPAA-compliant video from wherever you're most comfortable. IFS works well over video; some people find it easier to turn inward from their own space.
I'm a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) practicing under approved clinical supervision in Washington State, and IFS is the core of my clinical training and approach. Sessions are $150 for 50 minutes; I'm an out-of-network provider and provide monthly superbills for possible insurance reimbursement (how that works).