Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy in Adelaide

IFS is a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to understanding yourself and creating meaningful change.

Sometimes different parts of us seem to pull in different directions. One part might be critical or demanding, another anxious or overwhelmed, while another simply wants to withdraw or avoid difficult feelings or situations.

Internal Family Systems (IFS) offers a way of understanding these experiences with curiosity and compassion, rather than treating them as things that need to be fought or suppressed.

At Freedom Clinical Psychology Adelaide, I offer IFS therapy for adolescents and adults seeking a deeper understanding of themselves, their emotional experiences and the patterns that may be keeping them stuck.

I am a Certified IFS Therapist with Level 3 training in the model, and bring extensive clinical experience working with people experiencing complex emotional and psychological difficulties.

Based in Parkside, Adelaide.

What is Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr Richard Schwartz that offers a way of understanding our inner world through the concept of different 'parts' of ourselves.

Rather than seeing conflicting thoughts, emotions and behaviours as signs that something is wrong with us, IFS understands these experiences as reflecting different aspects of ourselves that have developed in response to our life experiences.

We might recognise parts of ourselves that strive for perfection, keep us busy, anticipate danger, avoid difficult emotions or become highly self-critical. Other parts may carry painful feelings and experiences associated with earlier relationships, adversity or trauma.

IFS approaches these different parts with curiosity and compassion, recognising that even patterns of behaviour that cause us difficulty often developed for understandable reasons. The aim isn't to get rid of these parts, but to develop a different relationship with them, helping us understand their roles and the experiences that have shaped them.

Understanding our different parts

In IFS, our different parts are understood as aspects of ourselves that have developed particular ways of responding to life and protecting us. They can influence how we think, feel and behave, sometimes in ways that seem contradictory or difficult to understand.

IFS commonly describes three broad groupings of parts:

Protective parts

Some parts work hard to keep us safe and in control. These are known as protectors. Some try to prevent difficulties by planning, striving, pleasing others, staying busy or maintaining high standards. Others may respond more urgently when we feel overwhelmed, using strategies such as withdrawing, becoming angry, distracting ourselves or avoiding painful situations.

Although these responses can sometimes create difficulties in our lives, they often developed for understandable reasons. IFS helps us become curious about what these parts are trying to protect us from, rather than simply trying to stop them.

Parts that carry painful experiences

IFS refers to parts that hold painful emotions, memories and beliefs as exiles. These parts may carry experiences of rejection, shame, fear, loneliness or hurt, often connected to earlier relationships or difficult life experiences.

Protective parts may work hard to keep these feelings out of awareness, sometimes for very good reasons. In therapy, we work carefully and at a pace that feels manageable, developing greater understanding and compassion for the experiences these parts carry.

The Self

At the heart of the IFS model is the idea of the Self. The Self is not another part of us, but a deeper capacity for calmness, curiosity, compassion, clarity and confidence.

When we are more connected to this way of being, we can begin to relate differently to our parts. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by them or fighting against them, we can listen to what they are communicating and develop a more compassionate understanding of their roles.

As therapy progresses, and when protective parts feel sufficiently safe and trusting, IFS can involve helping parts release the emotional burdens, beliefs and roles they have carried. This process is known as unburdening. Parts that hold painful experiences may gradually release the shame, fear, grief or other burdens associated with those experiences. Protective parts can also be supported to let go of the demanding or extreme roles they have taken on in an effort to keep us safe.

Unburdening is not about getting rid of parts or forcing change. It is about helping them no longer carry what they have been holding, so they can take on new, less burdensome roles. Over time, this can create greater access to Self-energy, allowing more calmness, connection, flexibility and compassion in our relationship with ourselves.

What does IFS therapy involve

IFS therapy involves developing a greater understanding of your inner world and the different parts of you that influence how you think, feel and respond to life.

Rather than focusing only on changing thoughts or behaviours, we work collaboratively to become curious about the feelings, beliefs and protective patterns that sit underneath them. This may involve gently getting to know parts that are anxious, self-critical, perfectionistic, withdrawn or overwhelmed, and beginning to understand what they are trying to do for you.

The work is experiential and often involves slowing down, noticing what is happening internally and developing a relationship with different parts of yourself. This can include paying attention to emotions, bodily sensations, images, memories and the ways different parts respond to one another.

Importantly, IFS therapy is not about forcing you to revisit painful experiences or pushing parts to change before they are ready. We work at a pace that respects your capacity and the protective intentions of your different parts.

Over time, this process can help you develop a more compassionate relationship with yourself, reduce the influence of longstanding patterns and create greater freedom in how you respond to life's challenges.

Who can benefit from IFS therapy?

IFS therapy can be helpful for people who want to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their emotional experiences and the patterns that shape their lives.

It may be particularly helpful if you find yourself:

Experiencing anxiety, depression or persistent emotional distress.
Struggling with self-criticism, perfectionism or feelings of shame.
Struggling with low self-esteem, low self-worth or persistent feelings of not being good enough.
Feeling caught between different needs, emotions or competing parts of yourself.
Repeating relationship patterns that you find difficult to change.
Experiencing the effects of childhood adversity, neglect, abuse or other traumatic experiences.
Finding that certain emotional reactions or protective behaviours seem difficult to control, even when you understand them intellectually.

IFS can offer a way of exploring these experiences with curiosity and compassion, helping you understand not just what you are struggling with, but why certain patterns may have developed and what they might be trying to protect you from.

You don't need to have a trauma history or a particular diagnosis to benefit from IFS. The approach can be useful for anyone interested in developing a more compassionate, connected and flexible relationship with themselves.

An individualised, trauma informed approach

IFS provides an important foundation for my therapeutic work, but I also recognise that each person's experiences, needs and circumstances are different.

My clinical approach draws on a range of evidence-informed therapeutic modalities, including Schema Therapy, EMDR and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). These approaches offer different ways of understanding and working with emotional difficulties, longstanding patterns and the effects of challenging life experiences.

Where appropriate, I integrate these perspectives with IFS, allowing therapy to respond to what you need rather than following a predetermined formula. For some people, this may involve developing a greater understanding of protective parts and painful experiences. For others, it may involve working with deeply ingrained beliefs, processing traumatic memories or developing new ways of responding to difficult emotions.

Throughout this work, I place importance on moving at a pace that feels manageable, building a trusting therapeutic relationship and respecting the ways you have learned to navigate life's challenges.

Explore IFS futher

If you'd like to explore some aspects of Internal Family Systems in more depth, you might find these articles helpful:

IFS in Clinical Psychology: What to Expect — a closer look at the therapeutic process.
Everyday Glimmers of Self-Energy — exploring the experience of becoming more Self-led.
Internal Family Systems Therapy for Adults with ADHD or Autism — considering how IFS can be applied to neurodivergent experiences.
Maleficent Through the Prism of IFS — a more creative exploration of parts, protectors and the possibility of healing through the lens of IFS.

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