What is IFS?

If you've ever said "part of me wants to do this, but another part just can't" you're already speaking IFS.

Internal Family Systems is an evidence-based model of psychotherapy developed by Dr Richard Schwartz. It's built on the idea that we all have a family of inner parts: each with their own feelings, beliefs, and protective roles and a core Self at the centre: calm, curious, compassionate, and capable of healing.

IFS isn't about getting rid of difficult parts. It's about getting to know them, understanding what they're carrying, and helping them. The result? Less inner conflict, more self-trust, and a different relationship with yourself and the people around you.

What makes IFS different?

Most therapy approaches treat symptoms. IFS goes to the source. Rather than managing anxiety or quietening your inner critic, we get curious about them. What are they protecting? What are they afraid would happen if they stepped back? When parts feel genuinely heard — often for the first time — things shift in ways that talking about a problem rarely achieves.

It's also creative, engaging, and sometimes surprisingly fun. Clients regularly tell me it feels unlike any therapy they've tried before.

IFS can be useful across a wide range of experiences, including:

Anxiety and worry, depression and low mood
Trauma and PTSD (including developmental and complex trauma)
Low self-esteem and inner criticism
Addictions and compulsive patterns
Relationship difficulties
Burnout and people-pleasing
Feeling stuck, lost, or disconnected from yourself

What does a session look like?

We slow down and turn attention inward. You might notice a feeling, an image, a body sensation, or a familiar voice. From there, I'll guide you to get curious about it — not to analyse it, but to actually meet it.

My role is to be a friendly guide: asking the kinds of questions that open things up, and staying with you as your system begins to trust the process.

Sessions are online via Zoom or in person in central Stroud, Gloucestershire.

Is IFS right for me? Ready to find out more?

IFS works well for people who are curious about themselves, open to something a bit different, and ready to slow down enough to listen inward. You don't need any prior knowledge just a willingness to get interested in what's going on inside.

I work with adults, both short and long-term. Once you've got the basics, you'll find you can use IFS on your own between sessions too, it becomes a way of relating to yourself, not just something you do in a therapy room.

I'm currently at full capacity for individual therapy. In the meantime, you're very welcome to join one of the online or in-person IFS Drop-In Community Circles — a free, open space to learn and experience IFS with others.

You can also explore the Resources page or pick up the Parts Mapping Starter Pack to begin exploring your parts on your own.