Ever feel like one part of you wants to lie on the couch all day, while another part insists you should be productive? That inner conflict is something we all experience. According to Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), those competing voices come from distinct inner parts, like members of a family system within you.

Rather than labeling some parts “bad,” the IFS model helps us understand how even our protective parts, like the inner critic or overachiever, are trying to help in their own way. IFS supports you in healing wounded parts, reconnecting with your true self, and finding balance in your internal system.

In this guide, we’ll explore:

What is IFS therapy?
The roles of inner parts
How therapy and Internal Family Systems work together
What it’s like to work with an IFS therapist

Let’s begin.

What Is IFS Therapy?

Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) is a gentle, evidence-based approach to psychotherapy that helps you understand the different “parts” of yourself—kind of like an inner family. Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, a family therapist and academic, IFS is grounded in the belief that our minds are made up of multiple parts, each with its own thoughts, emotions, and intentions.

Think of your mind as a system made up of subpersonalities—and just like in any family system, these parts can sometimes clash, support, or step in to protect one another.

The Goal of IFS Therapy

Rather than “fixing” you, IFS focuses on healing by helping you build trust with your parts and reconnect with your core Self. In IFS therapy, you’ll learn to:

Develop compassionate relationships with your parts
Understand what each part needs and why it shows up
Help exile parts feel safe and seen
Gently unburden past pain
Lead your internal system from your true self

IFS therapy is now used with individuals, families, and even in couples therapy, and it's backed by growing research, including applications for trauma, eating disorders, anxiety, and more.

Additional Reading: You might also be interested in Exploring the Difference Between Mental and Emotional Health.

What Are IFS Parts?

In Internal Family Systems Therapy, “parts” refer to the different aspects of your personality—your inner voices, instincts, and emotional responses. According to Schwartz’s model, we all have subpersonalities that show up in different ways. These parts within are not random—they’re trying to help, even if it doesn’t always feel that way.

Common IFS parts include:

Managers – inner critics or perfectionists who try to keep everything under control
Firefighters – emotional first responders who distract or numb pain (sometimes through food, substances, or avoidance)
Exiles – the younger, hurt, or rejected parts that carry emotional wounds, often from childhood

Feeling torn inside? That’s not a sign of dysfunction—it’s a natural expression of how your internal system works. What may seem like bad parts are often just protectors doing their job.

IFS and the Inner Child

One of the most tender aspects of parts work is reconnecting with your inner child—often found in the exile category. These vulnerable parts may carry sadness, shame, or fear from early experiences.

IFS helps you:

Understand the protective role these parts play
Reconnect with and nurture your wounded parts
Practice self-leadership by caring for your system with compassion
Begin to heal their parts and restore balance from within

As Dick Schwartz explains in his book on IFS, when you meet your parts with kindness, they begin to relax—and deep healing becomes possible.

Additional Reading: Learn Why Emotional Intelligence Can Matter More Than IQ in Relationships.

The approach aligns with modern systems theory, showing how harmony among parts can lead to emotional well-being. According to the IFS Institute, therapists using IFS report significant improvements in trauma, anxiety, and even personality disorders.

How the Internal Family Systems Model Works

In the Internal Family Systems model, your mind is seen as a system made up of distinct parts—each with a role to play in keeping you emotionally safe. According to Dr. Richard Schwartz, who began his career as a family therapist and an academic, these parts form relationships with each other, much like in family therapy or any larger system.

Even when parts show up in difficult ways—like perfectionism or people-pleasing—they’re trying to protect more vulnerable parts from pain.

Common protective roles include:

Overworking or constant busyness (manager parts trying to stay in control)
Avoidance or numbing with food, screens, or substances (firefighters trying to soothe distress)
Harsh self-talk or criticism (managers trying to prevent rejection or failure)

Systems thinking shows us that even when these roles seem extreme, they exist for a reason—and parts can help once they feel safe.

Parts Work Therapy in Action

So what does this look like in therapy? In a typical parts work session, you might:

Use guided imagery or visualization to meet a part
Have a gentle dialogue with a part to learn its role and fears
Explore past experiences that shaped it
Work with an IFS therapist to help that part feel supported

Many clinicians, including trauma experts like Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, recommend IFS for its integrative, evidence-based approach. The IFS Institute offers practical guidelines for implementing IFS, and research shows it helps resolve internal conflicts, anxiety, trauma, and even improves IFS couple therapy outcomes.

According to IFS, when you become the compassionate leader of the internal system, healing can finally begin.

Is IFS Right for You?

Whether you're navigating anxiety, trauma, self-doubt, or relationship stress, Internal Family Systems Therapy might be the gentle and effective approach you’ve been looking for. The IFS model recognizes that we all carry internal parts with unique needs, emotions, and voices—and that healing comes when we help these parts feel heard and supported.

IFS can benefit:

Individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, or a mental health condition
Couples looking for deeper connection and understanding (IFS is increasingly used in couple therapy)
Families seeking more peaceful dynamics, similar to the insights of family therapy

IFS is also used to treat extreme roles related to eating disorders, PTSD, and even some personality disorders.

What It’s Like to Work with an IFS Therapist

Working with an IFS therapist is less about being analyzed and more about being guided with compassion. According to Schwartz, the process should be paced by your own internal sense of readiness—not rushed.

Look for a therapist who:

Creates a safe, welcoming space
Works with curiosity, not judgment
Lets you go at your own pace
Has training in implementing IFS with clients

You might also explore healing between sessions using an Internal Family Systems workbook, which offers gentle exercises and journal prompts to help you connect with your distinct parts.

The premise of IFS is simple yet profound: all your parts are welcome, and each one can lead to growth. When you're ready, an IFS therapist can help you become the leader of your internal system.

Ready to Begin? Let’s Explore Your Inner World Together

Hi, I’m Christine—and if you’ve made it this far, you’re probably curious about using Internal Family Systems therapy to better understand yourself. That curiosity is a beautiful first step.

As a trauma-informed therapist, I blend IFS, CBT, and somatic practices to offer holistic, personalized talk therapy that meets you right where you are. I believe every part of you—yes, even the ones you struggle with—deserves compassion and a voice.

What I love about IFS, and what Richard Schwartz developed with such care, is how it honors your whole internal world. IFS reveals how the subpersonalities you carry aren’t flaws—they’re protectors, exiles, and helpers shaped by your experiences. I’m here to help those parts get the care they need and to support you in stepping into your core self with clarity and strength.

Ready to get started? Reach out today—I’d be honored to walk this path with you.

Meet Your Inner Parts: A Beginner’s Guide to Internal Family Systems Therapy