Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy

What is IFS?

Internal Family Systems is a non-pathologizing therapy that helps you understand and care for the different parts of yourself, so you can feel more calm, connected, and in control. IFS was developed by Richard Schwartz, who noticed that when people talked about their inner experiences, they naturally described them as parts — and that listening to those parts, instead of fighting them, led to real healing.

There are no bad parts.

According to the IFS Institute (2026): Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic model that views every human being as a system of protective and wounded inner parts guided by a core Self.

It teaches that the mind is naturally multiple—and that this multiplicity is healthy—because, like members of a family, inner parts can be pushed into extreme roles but also have valuable inherent qualities. IFS helps people access their undamaged, compassionate Self, which knows how to heal, and from that inner leadership, understand and transform their parts, fostering both inner and outer connectedness.

What happens in IFS therapy?

Instead of trying to:

  • get rid of feelings

  • “fix” yourself

  • override emotions with logic

IFS helps you:

  • get curious about each part

  • understand what it’s trying to do for you

  • help the hurt parts feel safe and supported

  • let protective parts relax once they don’t have to work so hard

It’s very much a “no bad parts” approach.

Art Therapy integrated with IFS

This approach helps you gently connect with the parts of yourself that live in the body, using awareness and creative expression to support deep, lasting healing. Rather than just talking about symptoms, we listen to the body and its parts, using art and somatic awareness to help what’s stuck begin to move.