Internal family systems
IFS therapy: meeting the parts of you with compassion
Gentle, online IFS-informed counselling for sensitive, deep-feeling people, across Australia.
Credential Note: I am currently completing IFS Level 1 training, and I weave IFS-informed parts work into my integrative counselling.
IFS therapy, gently and at your pace
IFS therapy is a gentle way of getting to know the different parts of you: the part that pleases, the part that worries, the part that criticises, the part that carries it all. Rather than trying to silence or change them, we meet each part with curiosity and compassion.
I offer IFS therapy online across Australia, from my base in Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, for women and sensitive, deep-feeling people.
What is IFS therapy?
IFS stands for Internal Family Systems. It is a way of understanding the mind as made up of many parts, a little like an inner family. Each part has its own feelings, beliefs and role, and each is trying to help in its own way. Underneath them all is your Self: the calm, curious, compassionate centre you already have.
Internal family systems therapy was developed by Dr Richard Schwartz. It helps you get to know your parts and, little by little, lead from that centre. It does not say that something is wrong with you. When we meet our parts with kindness, we remember who we are underneath them.
IFS Therapy
Getting to know your parts
IFS parts tend to fall into a few gentle groups:
Managers keep life running and try to keep you safe from hurt. They can show up as the perfectionist, the people-pleaser, the planner, the inner critic or the overthinker.
Firefighters step in when feelings become too much, sometimes through numbing, distraction, shutting down or sudden reactions.
Exiles are the tender, younger parts that carry old hurt, fear or shame. They are often the ones the others are protecting.
None of these parts is bad. Each learned its role for a reason, usually early on, and each is doing its best to protect you.
What parts work looks like
Parts work is slow, respectful and led by you. We might notice a feeling in your body, give it a name and get curious about what it wants you to know. I will guide, and you stay in charge of how close we go. I will never ask you to go further than you feel ready, and we never push past a protector's 'no'.
Because I work somatically and through a trauma-informed lens, we listen to your body as well as your thoughts, so your nervous system has room to feel safe.
Who IFS therapy can support
IFS therapy can be a gentle fit if you notice:
A loud inner critic, perfectionism or self-doubt
People-pleasing and empathy fatigue
Anxiety and overwhelm, or feeling pulled in two directions
Relationship patterns that keep repeating (see Relationship Counselling)
Old hurts and early experiences that still shape your days (see Trauma-Informed Counselling)
A sense of knowing what you want, and still finding yourself doing something else
If you feel things very deeply, you may be a highly sensitive person. Your sensitivity is welcome here, and parts work can help it become a strength.
ONLINE COUNSELLING
An IFS therapist, online and wherever you are
If you are searching for an IFS therapist, or an IFS therapist near me, you can meet with me online from wherever you are in Australia, by secure video or phone. You can read more about online counselling.
Internal family systems therapy sits alongside the other ways I work, including somatic awareness, narrative therapy and strengths-based support. I work integratively, so what we do is shaped around you, rather than around a model.
Wherever you are in Australia
If you are searching for online counselling in Brisbane, you can meet with me from home and receive the same unhurried support. The same goes for Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, regional towns and everywhere in between. Living overseas, travelling or an expat? Get in touch and we can talk through time zones.
WHEN YOU’RE READY
Begin when you're ready
Taking the first step should feel safe and low-pressure. Share a little about what brings you here, and I will reply personally to talk through what comes next. You'll find fees and what to expect on the Fees & FAQs page. Let's begin when you're ready.