Internal Family Systems
Inside each of us are many different “parts” — tender inner children, protective parts, critical voices that all carry wisdom and pain. Sometimes these parts can feel at odds, leaving us stuck or overwhelmed.
IFS therapy offers a gentle, compassionate way to listen to these parts with curiosity and care instead of trying to push them away. As parts feel seen and understood, they begin to relax — opening the door to healing, self-acceptance, and a deeper sense of peace.
Allowing us to live from our true Self — calm, confident, and whole.
The Impact of Early Experiences
We all carry experiences from the past—moments of connection and love, but also times when we felt unseen, unheard, unimportant, scared. Whether due to neglect, emotional unavailability, other disruption to connection or trauma.
Neuroscience shows that these experiences shape our:
• Nervous system and emotional regulation
• Core beliefs about safety, worth, and connection
• Patterns in relationships and self-perception
Protective Parts: Their Role and Purpose
To protect us from overwhelming emotions, parts of us step in with coping strategies. These protective parts work hard to keep us safe, often showing up as e.g.:
• Overachieving & perfectionism – striving for worthiness through success
• People-pleasing & caretaking – prioritizing others to avoid rejection
• Hyper-vigilance & control – staying alert to prevent harm or disappointment
• Self-criticism & shame – keeping us "in line" to avoid further pain
• Workaholism, depression, numbing, or avoidance – distancing from emotions that feel too intense
At one time, these strategies helped us survive. But as life evolves, they can become exhausting—keeping us disconnected from ourselves, our relationships, and a deeper sense of well-being.
Healing Through Internal Family Systems (IFS)
In therapy, we don’t fight against these protectors; instead, we meet them with curiosity and compassion, helping them soften. Together, we will:
• Turn inward with curiosity to explore the protective patterns guiding your life
• Recognize the younger, wounded parts they have been working so hard to shield
• Gently unburden pain, fear, and old survival strategies, allowing healing to take place
• Reconnect with your core Self, the part of you that holds wisdom, love, and inner calm
As protectors learn they no longer need to work so hard, and wounded parts receive the care they’ve long needed, a natural transformation happens. You begin to experience more ease, authenticity, and deeper connection—with yourself and those around you.
IFS and Somatics
IFS isn’t just a cognitive process – it is deeply somatic. Each part we meet has sensations, emotions, and energetic patterns that live in the body. When we include somatic awareness in IFS work, we can feel where a part resides, sense its tension, softness, or movement, and offer it presence directly through embodied listening.
This integration helps parts feel truly seen and safe, not just conceptually understood. By bringing gentle attention to bodily sensations while dialoguing with parts, we allow their stories and burdens to unfold at a pace the nervous system can hold. This creates lasting healing rooted both in the mind and the body.