Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy in New York

IFS is a holistic and somatic-informed approach to individual therapy that views each individual as a complex system of protective and wounded inner parts guided by a core Self.

While IFS understands that sometimes our parts can be pushed into extreme roles, it also acknowledges that all parts hold an underlying positive intentions.

By getting curious about their relational and behavioral patterns, rather than trying to eliminate them, clients often begin to feel deep sense of relief, healing, and emotional integration. When clients create positive relationships with their parts, rather than trying to get rid of them, clients often find that they're able to shift what is stuck and move forward more quickly than in traditional talk therapy.

Through research, IFS has been clinically shown to improve symptoms of trauma/PTSD, addiction, chronic pain, anxiety, and depression.

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Rather than trying to eliminate these patterns, IFS helps you relate to them with curiosity and compassion. These parts often developed to help you cope with earlier experiences and protect you from overwhelm or emotional pain.

As these parts begin to feel understood rather than judged, people often experience a noticeable shift in how they relate to themselves. Many clients report feeling some relief, increased clarity, or a greater sense of internal space within the first 1-3 sessions.

IFS therapy can help with:

  • Anxiety and chronic overthinking

  • People-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries

  • Self-criticism and low self-worth

  • Perfectionism and internal pressure

  • Relationship patterns and attachment wounds

  • Feeling disconnected from your needs or identity

I integrate IFS with a psychodynamic, attachment-focused approach to support deeper insight and lasting change.

ifs is non-pathologizing, evidence-based, trauma informed

Frequently Asked Questions

  • IFS therapy is a therapeutic model developed by Richard Schwartz that views the mind as made up of different “parts,” each with its own role, emotions, and protective function.

  • Parts are aspects of ourselves that developed to help us navigate life's challenges. Common examples include the inner critic, people-pleaser, perfectionist, caretaker, or anxious part.

  • No. While IFS is often used in trauma treatment, it can also help anyone who feels stuck in recurring patterns, struggles with self-criticism, or wants to better understand themselves.

  • I have completed Level 1 training in Internal Family Systems through the IFS Institute, which includes structured training, experiential practice, and clinical application. This is different from learning about IFS informally, and provides a strong foundation for integrating the model in therapy.

  • Many people begin to feel subtle shifts—such as more internal space, less reactivity, or increased self-understanding—within the first 1–2 sessions. Deeper, lasting change develops over time as different parts of you begin to feel understood and supported.