Internal Family Systems - IFS Therapy San Diego
You are not broken. Every part of you has a reason for being here and together, we’ll listen.
Understanding Your Inner World
If you’ve ever said, “A part of me feels this way, but another part of me feels that way,” you’ve already experienced what IFS is about. Through IFS therapy in San Diego, we’ll explore these different inner parts, understand where they come from, and help them find balance so you can live from a calmer, more connected place.
What Is IFS Therapy?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a way of looking at the mind as a multiplicity mind with different parts that carry their own thoughts, feelings, and roles. These parts show up in our inner dialogue and also shape how we relate to others.
Many of these parts were created in response to difficult experiences, often as a way to protect us. In IFS, we generally work with:
Managers: parts that try to keep life under control through planning, overthinking, or perfectionism
Firefighters: parts that step in quickly to stop pain, sometimes through impulsive behaviors or shutting down
Exiles: the vulnerable parts carrying childhood wounds, shame, or fear
At the core of IFS is the Self - a calm, compassionate, wise state that can help lead and heal the system.
When we begin IFS therapy San Diego, the first step is often “unblending” or learning to see that these parts are aspects of you, but they are not all of you.
Richard Schwartz, the founder of Internal Family Systems (IFS), provides an overview of the model.
What IFS Therapy Looks Like in My Practice
In our IFS sessions:
We slow down to notice the different voices or feelings inside of you
We get curious about protective parts instead of judging them
We use visualization, mindfulness, or gentle dialogue to connect with parts
We bring compassion to exiled parts that carry pain or fear
We strengthen your access to Self so you feel calmer, clearer, and more in charge of your life
I often weave IFS with EMDR, nervous system education, and mindfulness practices to create a holistic, integrative approach. Every step is collaborative, moving at the pace that feels safe for you.
How IFS Helps with CPTSD, Anxiety, and Relationships…
IFS therapy is especially powerful for the struggles my clients bring to therapy.
Complex PTSD: IFS helps you approach exiled parts carrying childhood wounds with compassion rather than fear, creating safety and healing where there was once shame.
Anxiety: Overactive manager parts often drive worry, self-criticism, or hypervigilance. IFS gives them space to be heard without letting them take over.
Relationships: By noticing and unblending from protective parts, you can show up more from your Self in relationships with more calm and clarity and less reactivity.
Through IFS in therapy San Diego, you can begin to shift from being overwhelmed by your parts to feeling compassion, leadership, and connection within yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions About IFS Therapy in San Diego
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No. One of the reasons many people find IFS therapy San Diego so supportive is that you don’t need to retell or relive every traumatic memory. Instead of focusing on the story itself, IFS helps us understand how your parts are carrying those experiences and what they need right now. This means you can heal without feeling retraumatized or overwhelmed by the past.
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Healing from long-term patterns takes time, but clients often notice meaningful changes within a few months. Some continue therapy longer to go deeper and integrate new ways of relating to themselves. The length of IFS therapy San Diego depends on your goals, how complex your trauma history is, and the pace your nervous system feels comfortable with. What’s most important is not speed but creating lasting change that feels safe and sustainable.
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Healing from complex PTSD is not a linear process. Some clients notice shifts in a few months; others choose to continue longer for deeper healing. We’ll move at your pace and create goals that feel right for you.
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Not at all. While IFS is especially effective for trauma and complex PTSD, it’s also incredibly helpful for anxiety, depression, low self-worth, and relationship struggles. Anytime you feel stuck in your head, reactive, or pulled in different directions by conflicting emotions, IFS can help bring clarity and balance.
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Unblending is one of the first skills you’ll learn in IFS therapy San Diego. It means noticing when a part like an anxious overthinker or a self-critical voice is in the driver’s seat and gently stepping back so you can see it as a part of you, not all of you. This gives you more freedom to choose how you respond rather than being hijacked by the part in the moment.
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Talk therapy often focuses on analyzing your thoughts and behaviors. IFS goes deeper by treating your emotions, habits, and inner voices as parts that have positive intentions but may be stuck in extreme roles. Instead of trying to get rid of them, we learn to understand and work with them. This makes IFS experiential and healing at a deeper level, not just cognitive.
Taking the Next Step Towards IFS Therapy San Diego
IFS therapy in San Diego helps you create a new relationship with yourself, one built on compassion, curiosity, and balance. You can move from feeling fragmented or reactive to living more from your calm, confident Self.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. I’d be honored to support you on your healing journey.
Get started with Holistic Flow Therapy today.
Book a free 15 minute phone call!