Overview of IFS

What is IFS?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a transformative approach that helps you understand and improve the harmony of your inner world.

Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz in the 1980s, IFS recognises that we all have various "parts" or sub-personalities—each with its own thoughts, feelings, and roles.

By connecting with these parts and accessing your core Self—a place of curiosity, calmness, compassion, courage, connectedness, creativity, confidence and clarity—IFS can support you towards the healing of emotional wounds, resolution of inner conflicts, and to foster improved mental well-being.

Understanding Your Inner System

IFS views the mind as a family of parts, each holding unique perspectives, emotions, and roles to help you through life. They are all trying to help, even the ones that do not seem helpful. Here’s how they are organised:

The Self: Your Core of Calm and Compassion

The Self is the essence of who you are—calm, curious, and confident. When you’re connected to your Self, you can approach your parts with understanding and care, creating harmony within.

Protectors are parts that try to shield you from pain. They might show up as perfectionism, criticism, or avoidance. While their intentions are good, they can sometimes feel overwhelming or limiting.

Protectors: Parts That Keep You Safe

Exiles: Wounded Parts That Need Healing

Exiles are younger parts that carry pain from past experiences. They often feel hurt, scared, or alone. IFS helps you safely reconnect with these parts, offering them the healing and compassion they need.

How IFS Works

IFS therapy is a collaborative, step-by-step and yet organic process. Here’s what you can expect:

You’ll work with your therapist to identify and understand your parts. This might involve exploring emotions, thoughts, sensations or impulses that feel conflicting or overwhelming.

Step 1: Identifying Your Parts

Step 2: Connecting with Your Self

Your therapist will guide you to access your Self—the calm, compassionate core of who you are. From this place, you can begin to build a trusting relationship with your parts.

Together, you’ll work at developing a respectful relationship with your protective parts. Over time, this may lead to helping exiled vulnerable parts. As parts are connected with and unburdened of negative beliefs/emotions or the need to engage in extreme behaviours, it creates greater inner harmony and resilience.

Step 3: Healing and Integrating Parts

Who Can Benefit from IFS?

IFS therapy can help if you:

Struggle with recurring emotional patterns or inner conflicts.
Want to explore the root causes of challenges like anxiety, depression, or trauma.
Are seeking a gentle, non-pathologizing approach to healing and personal growth.

"Do you ever feel like different parts of you are in conflict? Take a moment to reflect on what those parts might be trying to protect."

What Does the Research Say?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is showing promising results as an evidence-based approach for treating various mental health conditions. While more research is needed, initial studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in reducing symptoms and improving overall well-being. Research shows that IFS therapy can be effective for:

Trauma and PTSD: A 2021 pilot study found IFS reduced symptoms of PTSD and depression in adults with multiple childhood trauma (Hodgson, H.B. et al., 2021). A 2024 found IFS to be effective in reducing trauma symptoms with online group therapy in adults with childhood trauma and intimate partner violence. It significantly decreased anxiety, depression, suicide risk, emotional dysregulation , and increased self-compassion (SCS-SF) after 24 sessions (Comeau, A. et. al, 2024).
Internet Addiction: A 2023 study demonstrated that an IFS approach to addiction led to significant reduction in symptoms (Mehrad S.M. et. al, 2023).
Depression and Anxiety: IFS has shown promise in improving symptoms by addressing underlying emotional wounds ( Haddock, et al, 2016) .
Chronic Pain: A 2013 study demonstrated that IFS-based interventions improved physical function and reduced pain in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (Shadick et al, 2013).

Recognition: IFS was recognised as an evidence-based practice by the National Registry for Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), specifically for improving general functioning and well-being (IFS Foundation, 2015).

While therapy outcomes can vary, IFS offers a promising path to healing for many individuals.

Learn More

Want to learn about IFS ? Watch this Huberman Lab conversation from March 2025 where Dr. Richard Schwartz, founder of IFS, explains how IFS works and it may further help to work out if it matches what you might be looking for in therapy.

Ready to start IFS therapy?

Book a consultation today. We are based in Perth and offer online sessions across Australia.

Contact Us to Learn more

References

Comeau, A., Smith, L. J., Smith, L., Soumerai Rea, H., Ward, M. C., Creedon, T. B., Sweezy, M., Rosenberg, L. G., & Schuman-Olivier, Z. (2024). Online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: Feasibility and acceptability of the program for alleviating and resolving trauma and stress.Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 16(Suppl 3), S636–S640. https://doi.org/10.1037/tra0001688

Haddock SA, Weiler LM, Trump LJ, Henry KL. The Efficacy of Internal Family Systems Therapy in the Treatment of Depression Among Female College Students: A Pilot Study. J Marital Fam Ther. 2017 Jan;43(1):131-144. doi: 10.1111/jmft.12184. Epub 2016 Aug 8. PMID: 27500908.

Hodgdon, H. B., Anderson, F. G., Southwell, E., Hrubec, W., & Schwartz, R. (2021). Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Survivors of Multiple Childhood Trauma: A Pilot Effectiveness Study. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 31(1), 22–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2021.2013375

Mehrad Sadr, M., Borjali, A., Eskandari, H., & Delavar, A. (2023). Design and validation of a therapy program based on the internal family systems model and its efficacy on internet addiction. Journal of Psychological Science, 22(121), 19-35. https://psychologicalscience.ir/article-1-1867-fa.html

Shadick, N. A., Sowell, N. F., Frits, M. L., Hoffman, S. M., Hartz, S. A., Booth, F. D., Sweezy, M., Rogers, P. R., Dubin, R. L., Atkinson, J. C., Friedman, A. L., Augusto, F., Iannaccone, C. K., Fossel, A. H., Quinn, G., Cui, J., Losina, E., & Schwartz, R. C. (2013). A randomized controlled trial of an internal family systems-based psychotherapeutic intervention on outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis: A proof-of-concept study. The Journal of Rheumatology, 40(11), 1831-1841. https://doi.org/10.3899/jrheum.121465

What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?