Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems

“One part of me feels angry about that. Another part of me feels sad.”

At the core of Internal Family Systems (IFS) sessions is recognizing that each individual is made up of various parts. We are born with a variety of qualities and they are all good. They offer positive talents and resources to us and make us stronger.

As we go through life, however, and encounter traumatic experiences and emotional injuries, these parts of us can take on extreme or damaging roles that can hinder us or become destructive. While these shifts were often necessary to navigate or survive the difficult experiences of life, they become frozen in that time as skewed versions of themselves.

When making a difficult decision, for example, a creative part of you might emphasize the beneficial outcome and encourage you to take action. A critical part of you might caution you to think through the choice’s risks. If you’ve had negative experiences with risk-taking, though, a more vulnerable part of you might amplify those experiences and be afraid to make a decision. 

That part of you becomes burdened. 

In IFS sessions, we work together to help you identify your various parts and determine the positive talents and resources they originally offered you. Through gentle questions, we reflect on the ways these qualities changed over time and how they are currently trying to protect you.

Our goal is to understand each part so that you can work to unburden it and return it to its natural, valuable state. 

Your core Self knows how to heal and IFS sessions point the way. Through them, you will discover a more integrated Self marked by clarity, compassion, calmness, confidence, curiosity, creativity, connectedness and courage.