Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy helps you understand and work with the different parts of yourself with more compassion, curiosity, and clarity.
Many people living with trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, emotional overwhelm, or relationship difficulties feel pulled in conflicting directions internally. One part may push you to stay productive and composed, while another feels exhausted, reactive, ashamed, disconnected, or deeply vulnerable underneath.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a compassionate, depth-oriented approach that helps people better understand these internal experiences and develop a more connected and trusting relationship with themselves.
IFS therapy may be helpful if you experience:
harsh self-criticism or shame
perfectionism, overthinking, or over-functioning
people-pleasing or difficulty setting boundaries
emotional overwhelm or intense inner conflict
difficulty accessing emotions or needs
feeling emotionally “stuck” despite insight
conflicting thoughts, emotions, or impulses internally
relationship patterns connected to attachment wounds or trauma
anxiety, emotional shutdown, or chronic self-protection
Understanding protective patterns differently
IFS views many emotional and behavioral patterns not as pathology, but as protective responses that developed for understandable reasons over time. Parts of you that become anxious, emotionally reactive, perfectionistic, avoidant, self-critical, or emotionally shut down often developed in response to painful experiences, unmet emotional needs, or environments where certain emotions or vulnerabilities did not feel safe.
Rather than trying to force these parts away, IFS helps create more curiosity, compassion, and understanding toward the internal system as a whole. This can support deeper healing, greater emotional flexibility, and a stronger sense of connection to yourself.
My approach to IFS therapy
I am formally Level 1 IFS trained by the IFS Institute and have completed two years of consultation and supervised practice to deepen my skill in this modality.
My approach is grounded, relational, and depth-oriented while also active and engaged. I work well with clients who are insightful and motivated for meaningful trauma work, particularly those who feel emotionally stuck despite years of self-awareness, coping strategies, or previous therapy experiences.
Many clients I work with have spent years feeling internally divided between the parts of themselves trying to stay in control and the parts carrying fear, shame, grief, anger, or emotional overwhelm underneath. Therapy can become a space to better understand these patterns while building greater internal trust, steadiness, and self-connection. IFS offers a way of approaching these patterns with less shame and more understanding while supporting meaningful emotional healing over time.
Internal Family Systems can be especially helpful for adults navigating complex PTSD, emotional neglect, attachment wounds, and long-standing relational patterns.
I offer virtual IFS therapy for adults located anywhere in Oregon or California. If you are looking for a depth-oriented, relational approach to trauma therapy that integrates Internal Family Systems and EMDR, I invite you to reach out for a consultation.