Internal Family Systems
Offered Virtually in Florida & Colorado
A New Way of Understanding Yourself
Most of us carry parts of ourselves that seem to hold different ideas about who we are, what we want, and what we “should” be doing.
One part may want to get a full 8 hours of sleep, while another part insists on scrolling in bed. A part of you wants to see a relationship through, while another part wants to fold inward and disappear. You may have a part that overthinks every interaction, one that keeps everyone happy, one that shuts down when things feel overwhelming, or one that becomes highly self-critical when you make a mistake.
Internal Family Systems, or IFS, is a therapeutic approach that allows us to work with these different parts of ourselves rather than continuing the uphill battle of trying to fight against them.
IFS begins with the recognition that we all have parts and that, even when their behavior feels frustrating or self-defeating, each part developed around an attempt to help, protect, or adapt in some way.
When we begin working with these responses instead of against them, new possibilities emerge: understanding ourselves more deeply, softening patterns that no longer serve us, and creating more choice in how we respond.
How IFS Works
Fundamental to IFS work is reconnecting with Self — the grounded, compassionate, curious core of who you are beneath the protective roles and wounds your system has accumulated over time.
Healing in IFS happens through the relationship between Self and parts.
Rather than forcing a protective response to stop, we become curious about why it is there. Rather than trying to reason a wounded part out of what it feels, we make space to understand what it carries.
As parts begin to feel understood rather than fought against, they can soften out of extreme roles, release burdens connected to past experiences, and relate to the present in new ways.
What Can Change
Over time, parts work using IFS can help create more space between you and the reactions that once felt automatic.
You might begin to notice anxiety without immediately following it, set boundaries without becoming consumed by guilt, stay more connected to yourself during conflict, recognize old wounds without being completely pulled back into them, and relate to yourself with less shame and more trust.
IFS + EMDR Integration
Following Your System’s Lead
I use IFS both on its own and alongside EMDR, depending on what feels most appropriate for you.
Sometimes parts work helps us understand and soften protective responses before deeper trauma processing. At other times, a part may lead us toward a memory or emotional experience that would benefit from EMDR.
The approach is collaborative and flexible, with the goal of working with your system rather than asking you to push past it.
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