IFS is a style of therapy that focuses on cultivating harmonious relationships among all parts of ourselves (our internal family, so to speak). By accessing healing qualities that are already within us, such as compassion and curiosity, and through radical acceptance and the firm acknowledgement that there are no bad parts of you, we learn to love all of who we are and regain trust in ourselves.

IFS embraces the fact that we contain multitudes. It celebrates what all parts of us have to offer, especially once they have been released from burdensome roles into their naturally valuable states.

Many styles of talk therapy rely on logic and analysis. Somatic (meaning “body-based”) IFS welcomes the wonderful intellectual parts of us, but also recognizes that many parts of us do not speak the language of logic and reasoning. It encourages us to listen to the body, befriend our nervous systems, and make space for the parts of ourselves that don’t tend to get as much attention. In doing so, we heal from the “bottom-up” rather than the “top-down.” As a result, we learn to feel differently, rather than simply think differently.

Mindfulness practice helps to release us from the grip of thought and automatic behavior, to relax into our natural awareness.

Mindfulness and IFS work together to help us access healing qualities that are fundamental to who we are, such as compassion, clarity, and non-judgmental acceptance. Infused with these qualities, we can turn our attention toward all parts of ourselves (and others) and begin to heal ourselves and our relationships.