Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
Do You Sometimes Feel Like Different Parts Of You Are In Conflict?
Understanding Internal Family Systems: A Revolutionary Approach to Inner Healing
Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s, Internal Family Systems therapy is based on the understanding that the mind naturally organizes itself into distinct sub-personalities or "parts." Each part has its own perspective, feelings, memories, and goals for your wellbeing. These parts develop throughout your life in response to experiences, particularly during childhood.
IFS identifies three main categories of parts:
Exiles: Vulnerable parts that carry painful emotions and memories, often from childhood. These parts hold core beliefs about your unworthiness, unlovability, or inadequacy.
Managers: Proactive protective parts that work to keep you functioning and prevent exiles from overwhelming you with painful feelings. Managers manifest as perfectionism, people-pleasing, hyper-independence, overachieving, controlling behaviors, or emotional detachment.
Firefighters: Reactive protective parts that activate when exiles break through manager defenses. These parts attempt to distract or numb emotional pain through impulsive behaviors like substance use, binge eating, excessive exercise, anger outbursts, or other compulsive activities.
Beyond these parts, IFS recognizes that everyone has a core Self—a compassionate, curious, and connected essence that remains untouched by trauma or life experience. The Self possesses qualities like calmness, clarity, courage, creativity, and compassion. When we access this Self, we can heal and harmonize our internal system.
Have you ever noticed yourself responding to situations in ways that seem automatic or outside your control? Perhaps you set an intention to respond calmly to criticism, only to find yourself defensively lashing out or shutting down completely. Maybe you've worked hard to build self-confidence, yet an inner critic still undermines your accomplishments with persistent negative commentary.
Many people experience these internal conflicts—part of you wants to take a risk, while another part feels terrified of failure; part of you desires close relationships, while another part keeps people at a distance to avoid rejection. These conflicting impulses can leave you feeling confused, stuck, or at war with yourself.
At Holistic Counseling, we specialize in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy, an evidence-based approach that offers a compassionate framework for understanding and healing these inner conflicts. Through IFS, you can develop a relationship with all parts of yourself, transforming internal struggle into harmony and self-leadership.
When IFS Therapy Can Help
Internal Family Systems therapy has proven effective for a wide range of psychological concerns:
Trauma and post-traumatic stress
Anxiety and panic disorders
Depression and persistent negative self-talk
Relationship difficulties and attachment issues
Eating disorders and body image concerns
Substance use and behavioral addictions
Chronic pain and psychosomatic symptoms
Identity exploration and personal growth
Unlike approaches that pathologize aspects of your personality, IFS recognizes that all parts—even those with destructive behaviors—developed with positive protective intentions. Rather than trying to eliminate or suppress these parts, IFS helps you understand their concerns, appreciate their protective efforts, and invite them into new roles that better serve your adult life.
The IFS Process: What to Expect
At Holistic Counseling, we integrate IFS with our holistic philosophy, recognizing the connections between mind, body, spirit, and relational systems.
IFS therapy follows a natural healing process that unfolds at your pace:
Identifying Parts: Together, we'll help you recognize different parts of your internal system—noticing their feelings, beliefs, and the roles they play in your life.
Building Self-Energy: You'll learn to access your core Self and its qualities of curiosity, compassion, and calm, creating an internal resource for healing.
Unburdening Parts: Through guided internal dialogue, you'll help parts release the emotional burdens, limiting beliefs, and outdated strategies they've been carrying.
Harmonizing Your System: As parts feel heard and unburdened, your internal system naturally reorganizes into a more collaborative and balanced state.
Throughout this process, your therapist serves as a compassionate guide, helping you maintain connection with your Self as you engage with different parts. We may incorporate mindfulness practices, somatic awareness, creative expression, or other modalities to deepen your internal work.
Many clients report profound shifts through IFS therapy, including:
Greater self-compassion and reduced self-criticism
Improved emotional regulation and distress tolerance
More authentic relationships with clearer boundaries
Reduced symptoms of anxiety, depression, and trauma
Increased access to creativity, playfulness, and joy
A sense of inner harmony and self-leadership
Enhanced spiritual connection and purpose
Common Questions About IFS Therapy
Is IFS suggesting I have multiple personalities?
Not at all. Unlike Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder), where distinct personality states operate with separate memories and identities, IFS describes a normal multiplicity that exists within everyone's mind.
Think of your internal parts as similar to family members in a household—each with their own perspectives and roles, yet all part of the same system. These parts exist on a continuum of normal human experience, representing different aspects of your personality rather than separate identities.
Even people without psychological distress experience this inner multiplicity—like the part that wants to exercise competing with the part that wants to relax, or the professional part that presents differently than the part that emerges with close friends.
How does IFS differ from other therapeutic approaches?
IFS distinguishes itself from other therapeutic approaches in several key ways:
Non-Pathologizing: Rather than seeing symptoms as problems to eliminate, IFS recognizes them as adaptive strategies developed by protective parts.
Self-Leadership vs. Control: Instead of teaching control over thoughts and emotions, IFS fosters a relationship between your core Self and your parts.
Parts Work: While some approaches try to eliminate "negative" aspects of personality, IFS helps all parts find new, more adaptive roles within your internal system.
Direct Access: Rather than just talking about emotions or thoughts, IFS facilitates direct communication with the parts generating them.
Spiritual Dimension: IFS acknowledges the existence of a core Self with inherent healing qualities, integrating spiritual concepts with psychological healing.
Many clients find that IFS complements previous therapy experiences, often providing a framework that helps make sense of personal insights gained through other approaches.
How long does IFS therapy take?
The duration of IFS therapy varies based on your specific goals, the complexity of your internal system, and your personal history. Some clients experience significant shifts within 8-12 sessions, while others benefit from longer-term work, particularly when addressing complex trauma or entrenched patterns.
IFS tends to work more efficiently than some traditional approaches because it addresses root causes rather than just managing symptoms. Many clients report meaningful insights and changes early in the process, even as deeper work continues.
We'll regularly assess your progress together, ensuring that therapy remains aligned with your goals. Some clients choose to continue IFS work even after resolving their presenting concerns, using it as a framework for ongoing personal growth and self-understanding.
Do I need to visualize or talk to my parts for IFS to work?
While IFS often involves internal dialogue with parts, there are many ways to engage with your internal system. Some people experience parts through:
Physical sensations in the body
Emotions that arise in certain situations
Recurring thoughts or beliefs
Images, memories, or metaphors
A felt sense of different aspects of themselves
Our therapists are skilled at adapting the IFS approach to work with your natural way of connecting with your internal experience. If visualization doesn't come easily to you, we can explore other pathways for accessing and working with your parts.
Begin Your Journey Toward Inner Harmony
At Holistic Counseling, we believe that healing occurs as you develop a compassionate relationship with all aspects of yourself. Internal Family Systems therapy offers a powerful framework for transforming inner conflict into collaboration, self-criticism into self-compassion, and protective patterns into conscious choices.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our IFS-trained therapists. We'll help you determine if this approach aligns with your needs and answer any additional questions about the process. We offer both in-person and secure online IFS sessions to clients throughout Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming.
If you're experiencing a crisis or need immediate support, please contact:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
SAMHSA's National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)