Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) is an approach to psychotherapy that identifies and addresses multiple sub-personalities or families within a person’s mental system. These sub-personalities, also known as “parts,” consist of wounded parts and painful emotions such as anger, shame, and fear, as well as parts that try to control and protect the person from the pain of the wounded parts.

The sub-personalities are often in conflict with each other and with one’s core Self, a concept that describes the confident, compassionate, whole person that is at the core of every individual.

IFS focuses on healing the wounded parts and restoring mental balance and harmony by changing the dynamics that create discord among the sub-personalities and the Self.