WOrk with your inner system,
not against it.
IFS therapy in New York City and across New York State
For the Parts That Learned to Protect and Survive
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy for trauma, anxiety, and emotional pain when insight alone hasn’t brought relief.
IFS works by helping you gently understand and heal the parts of you that learned to protect, endure, or hold pain when there were no better options. Rather than pushing symptoms away, we work with them, creating space for relief, clarity, and lasting change.
IFS: A Transformational Approach to Healing
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is an evidence-based, compassion-focused approach that helps you heal trauma, anxiety, and emotional pain by working with your internal system of parts. Rather than viewing symptoms as problems to eliminate, IFS understands them as protective responses that developed for a reason.
Unlike traditional talk therapy that often relies on insight, IFS therapy targets the root of emotional pain by helping you build a trusting relationship with the parts of you that carry fear, shame, grief, or overwhelm. As these parts feel understood and supported, the nervous system can settle and long-standing patterns begin to shift.
Through guided parts work, IFS helps you access your core Self, a state associated with calm, clarity, and self-leadership. Many clients report feeling more regulated, less reactive, and more internally aligned, often experiencing relief that feels both deep and sustainable.
Internal Family Systems therapy has shown to be effective for trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, relational difficulties, and low self-worth. It is especially helpful for people who feel stuck despite years of therapy or self-work.
If you feel pulled in different directions internally or weighed down by emotional patterns that will not shift, IFS therapy may offer the clarity and healing your system has been seeking..
IFS therapy helps you live with less internal struggle and more self leadership.
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Internal Family Systems therapy is based on the understanding that the mind is made up of different parts, each with its own role, emotions, and intentions. Some parts protect you from pain, while others carry the emotional wounds from past experiences. IFS therapy helps you safely identify and understand these parts, without judgment.
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IFS therapy is collaborative, paced, and deeply attuned to your nervous system. Sessions often involve noticing internal experiences, emotions, or body sensations and getting curious about the parts connected to them. You remain present and in control throughout the process.
There is no requirement to relive traumatic events in detail. Instead, therapy focuses on safety, internal awareness, and building capacity before addressing deeper emotional pain. Many clients describe IFS sessions as clarifying, grounding, and surprisingly relieving.
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Internal Family Systems therapy can support healing from trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, and chronic emotional distress. By addressing the root causes of symptoms rather than managing them alone, many people experience improved emotional regulation, reduced reactivity, greater self trust, and more fulfilling relationships.
IFS therapy is especially helpful for individuals who feel internally conflicted, stuck, or exhausted by patterns that no longer serve them. Over time, clients often report a stronger sense of inner stability and a clearer connection to themselves.
I want you to know:
IFS therapy utilizes that understanding that you already have an inner capacity for healing.
When protective parts feel safe enough to step back, your system naturally moves toward balance and relief.
Is IFS right for you?
IFS is a good fit for you if you…
You feel pulled in different directions internally, like one part of you wants change while another part feels scared, critical, or shut down
You struggle with a loud inner critic that constantly chips away at your self-worth
Your inner critic or self-doubt feels loud and relentless, even when you logically know better
You notice repeating patterns in relationships and are left feeling unseen or unsafe without fully understanding why
You want to respond more intentionally, but certain reactions take over before you can stop them
You feel stuck or fragmented, even after insight, coping skills, or past therapy
With IFS, you can…
Free up energy by no longer fighting yourself internally
Reduce self-criticism by understanding its protective role
Respond to triggers with more choice and less overwhelm
Soften emotional reactivity
Questions?
FAQs
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In IFS, “parts” refer to different aspects of your inner experience, such as inner critics, protectors, or vulnerable parts. These parts are not pathologies. They are adaptive responses that developed to help you survive, cope, or function. Therapy focuses on understanding their roles rather than trying to eliminate them.
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That is a very common concern. In IFS, even harsh inner critics are approached with curiosity rather than confrontation. We work at a pace that keeps the system stable and focus first on building safety and trust before going deeper.
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IFS treats shame and self-blame as parts that formed to protect you from deeper pain or rejection. By understanding their protective intent, these parts often soften, allowing more compassion and internal balance to emerge.
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That does not have to be a barrier. In IFS, lack of self-compassion is itself understood as a protective part. Therapy focuses on gently working with that part rather than forcing self-kindness before you are ready.