Internal Family Systems: Your Inner World Has Something to Say

What is IFS?

IFS is a therapy model that helps us connect with the different “parts” of ourselves, the inner voices, feelings, and patterns that sometimes work together and sometimes pull us in different directions. You might already notice them in your own language:

• “Part of me wants to do this, but another part is scared.”

• “I know I’m okay now, but a part of me still feels like a little kid.”

  
  

IFS sees all these parts as having a purpose, even the ones that feel critical, anxious, or stuck. They’re often trying to protect us in some way, even if their methods aren’t working for us anymore. At the heart of IFS is the idea that you also have a core Self, calm, compassionate, and capable, and this Self can help heal and lead your parts.

Why It Works

Many approaches focus mainly on thoughts or behaviours. IFS goes deeper by inviting us to listen to the inner dynamics driving those thoughts and behaviours. Instead of pushing away or “fixing” a difficult feeling, we turn toward it with curiosity, asking: When did you first feel this way? What do you need from me now?

This can create profound shifts because your parts feel heard and understood rather than pushed aside. Over time, they can relax their extreme roles, making space for you to feel more balanced and whole.

IFS vs. Traditional Talk Therapy – What’s Similar and What’s Different

IFS is still a form of talk therapy, but the conversation is different. Instead of focusing only on the outer events of your life, we focus on your inner world, your parts and your Self.

• Traditional talk therapy often stays in the realm of the thinking brain, analyzing experiences and planning strategies.

• IFS blends insight with direct inner experience, we slow down, connect with a part, and explore what it’s holding without forcing it to change right away.

  
  

Think of it like this: talk therapy might be like reading a map, while IFS is like walking into the landscape and meeting the locals.

Does It Work Well with Neurodiverse Brains?

Yes, in fact, IFS can feel very natural for neurodivergent clients. Many autistic, ADHD, and highly sensitive people already notice strong inner dialogues or have vivid inner worlds. IFS embraces this instead of asking you to suppress or “normalize” it.

• We go at your pace, honouring sensory needs and communication preferences.

• You don’t have to mask or perform; we work with what’s real for you in the moment.

• Parts can often represent the unique ways your brain processes, remembers, and protects, and IFS gives them space to be heard without judgment.

  
  

Clients often describe it as a safe way to work through intense feelings without feelings overwhelmed.

What a Session Looks Like

An IFS session is calm, collaborative, and led by your inner experience. We might:

• Begin with grounding and presence, so you feel safe and centred.

• Notice what part of you feels most activated today (it could be an emotion, a thought, a body sensation, or even a voice in your head).

• Get curious about that part, asking what it’s feeling, what it’s afraid would happen if it didn’t do its job, and what it needs from you.

• Connect with your Self, the part of you that can hold compassion, calm, and clarity and begin a dialogue between your Self and your part.

  
  

Sometimes this leads to a part sharing a memory or fear it’s been holding for years. Other times, the part simply feels relief at being noticed.

Why Clients Love It

• It helps untangle inner conflicts in a kind, respectful way.

• You don’t have to get rid of any part of yourself, every part has value.

• It creates lasting change because the healing comes from within you, not just from advice or techniques.

  
  

Final Thoughts

IFS is not about pushing away difficult emotions or silencing inner voices, it’s about listening to them, understanding them, and helping them find new, healthier roles. It’s a process of becoming more whole, more integrated, and more connected to your own inner wisdom.

Sometimes the most profound healing comes from turning toward the parts of ourselves we’ve avoided the longest, and IFS offers a compassionate, powerful way to do just that.