IFIO & RLT COUPLES THERAPY
I offer both Intimacy From the Inside Out (IFIO) and Relational Life Therapy (RLT), depending on what feels most helpful for each couple.
IFIO, developed by Toni Herbine-Blank, is grounded in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and helps partners connect with compassion and courage, so they can safely share their needs and shift communication from conflict to closeness.
RLT, created by Terry Real, is a direct and practical approach that focuses on breaking unhelpful relational patterns, strengthening self-esteem and boundaries, and fostering honesty and equality.
Whether through the gentle depth of IFIO or the clear, skill-building focus of RLT, I work with couples to create the safety and tools they need for deeper, more authentic connection.
FYI I’ve included in my ‘news section’ a number of colourful diagrams I’ve created which give a roadmap to the process.. I invite you to take a look! https://www.stroudtherapy.com/news/2024/4/6/intimacy-from-the-inside-out-ifio-diagrams and any couple I see will receive a lighthearted RLT map pamphlet.
IFIO and RLT
What do I do?
In my couples work, I draw on both IFIO and RLT. With RLT, I help couples recognise the patterns and “losing strategies” that keep them stuck, and support them in learning new, more constructive ways of relating. RLT is both compassionate and direct, bringing honesty to the surface while also teaching practical relational skills—so that partners can step out of entrenched cycles, hold clear boundaries, and meet each other with truth, respect, and care. With IFIO, I work with the natural subdivisions—or parts—of the human mind, guiding couples to see how old childhood wounds can be projected into the present, leaving them feeling threatened, frustrated, or angry, and often disconnected from their deeper need for safety, love, and connection.
In both IFIO and RLT, the aim is not long-term therapy but giving you the tools to shift your relationship patterns for good. Some couples come for just a few sessions, others choose to check in more regularly, perhaps monthly—I’m guided by what works best for you. Once you’ve learnt how to un-blend from protectors and speak for your parts with Courageous Communication (IFIO), and to step out of losing strategies by speaking truthfully and setting healthy boundaries (RLT), you’ll find you can change your conversations—and with them, the whole feel of your relationship.