therapy service
Internal Family Systems Therapy in pasadena & online in California
You can be your own hero.
Is your wounded inner child creating chaos?
Your “self” is made up of many parts—and every single one of them exists for a reason. What we often label as problems—self-sabotage, anxiety, perfectionism, addiction, self-doubt, anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, fear of abandonment or struggles with relationships—aren’t flaws or enemies. These are protective strategies your system developed in response to pain, trauma, or unmet needs. Parts of you take on extreme roles not because they want to, but because they feel they have to in order to keep you safe.
hide and seek, therapy edition
No one puts baby in a corner … except, Someone did.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a holistic and somatic approach, developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz, that helps individuals gently connect with the different parts of themselves—especially those that may still be carrying pain, fear, or unmet needs. Rather than trying to “fix” or silence these parts, IFS encourages approaching them with curiosity and compassion. When these parts feel seen, heard, and supported, they no longer need to work so hard to protect, and can begin to shift into more balanced, healthy roles. This work is not about changing who someone is; it’s about healing from a place of wholeness and embracing all aspects of the self.
Richard Schwartz
“There are no bad parts, just parts forced into bad roles.”
How it works
How Does IFS Therapy support Trauma healing?
dive inward (or just dip your toes in)
Understand the different parts of yourself—why they show up, what they’re protecting, and how they’ve helped you survive. This is the foundation for healing.
heal the tender parts
Work with wounded parts of you that carry fear, shame, or self-doubt—so they don’t have to run the show. This is how self-protection becomes self-liberation.
reconnect with your Self
As you release what no longer serves you, you create space to live with more clarity, confidence, and calm. From here, you can lead your life with intention.
Basic IFS parts explained
Internal Family Systems (IFS) identifies at least three core parts we all have (although there are countless others!). At the center of it all is your Self—the calm, compassionate, and grounded presence within you. As you strengthen your connection to your Self, your nervous system naturally moves toward regulation, and healing begins to unfold.
IFS isn’t about forcing change—it’s about creating the inner conditions where transformation happens naturally, with curiosity, compassion, and care.
Exiles
These parts hold the pain, shame, fear, and trauma from past experiences. They’re often young and vulnerable, and are pushed away or “exiled” because their feelings are too overwhelming or were unacceptable in the past.
Managers
These parts try to keep you in control, organized, and functioning in daily life. They work hard to prevent you from feeling the pain of the exiles—often through perfectionism, people-pleasing, over-functioning, or criticism.
Firefighters
When exiles get triggered and break through, firefighters jump in to stop the emotional flood—often through impulsive, numbing, or extreme behaviors like dissociation, substance use, bingeing, or shutting down.
Getting to know your parts isn’t just healing—it can be playful, surprising, and even fun!
Inner child work is all about making our way back to joy.
the Benefits
IFS Therapy is a Powerful Approach for Healing Trauma, Inner Conflict, and Self-Sabotage
IFS helps you understand the root of your inner pain—so you can stop fighting with yourself and start relating to your parts with compassion. With IFS you can:
Develop a kind, supportive relationship with yourself
Experience relief from self-doubt, shame, and unworthiness
Trust that you are enough without needing to prove yourself
Release perfectionism and embrace your humanity
Feel grounded in who you are—even in moments of uncertainty
1. Heal Core Wounds
IFS helps you heal attachment wounds and shift out of patterns like people-pleasing or emotional caretaking, so you can:
Set boundaries with confidence and care
Build safe, authentic connections
Feel secure and connected in your relationships
Express your needs without guilt or fear
Attract and maintain emotionally fulfilling partnerships
Stay connected to yourself, even when with others
2. Transform Relationships
As you get to know PROTECTIVE parts, you begin to lead your life from a place of grounded clarity, joy, and inner safety. With Ifs you can:
Feel more present, embodied, and emotionally resilient
Navigate life from your calm, wise, grounded Self
Reclaim your playfulness, joy, and intuition
Integrate all parts of yourself with acceptance and love
Experience internal harmony instead of inner conflict
3. Reconnect with Your True Self
IFS doesn’t just help you feel better—it helps you become the you that existed before the survival patterns. As parts heal, you can:
Make choices from clarity and self-trust, not fear
Let go of old roles and step into your most authentic self
Feel aligned in your work, relationships, and values
Move through the world with purpose and confidence
Trust your intuition and feel at home in your life
4. Live in Alignment & Purpose
FAQs
you’ve got questions - I’ve got answers
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An IFS session is a guided process where you explore the different parts of yourself with curiosity and compassion. Rather than just talking about your experiences, we’ll slow down and notice what’s happening inside—thoughts, emotions, and even physical sensations. The goal isn’t to get rid of any part of you but to help you understand why they exist and what they need. With time, this process brings more balance, inner peace, and self-trust.
Unlike some therapies that require revisiting painful memories, IFS focuses on how past experiences still affect you now. Rather than reliving trauma, we work with the parts of you that are still carrying its weight. Healing doesn’t come from rehashing the past but from changing your relationship with the parts of you that were shaped by it. -
No, despite the name, Internal Family Systems (IFS) doesn’t involve your actual family. Instead, it focuses on the internalsystem of different parts within you.
Think of it like this: just as families have different members with unique roles, your inner world is made up of different parts that each serve a purpose. Some parts might be protective, others might carry wounds, and some may just want to be heard. IFS helps you understand and heal these inner dynamics so that you can move through life with more balance, self-compassion, and clarity.
That said, working with your internal system can lead to healthier relationships with others—including your actual family—because as you become more self-aware and regulated, your interactions with loved ones naturally shift in positive ways (and that’s not to say you have to have a relationship with your family).
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Yes and no. IFS includes inner child work, but it goes beyond it.
In traditional inner child work, the focus is often on reconnecting with the wounded, younger parts of yourself that still carry pain from the past. While IFS also helps you meet and heal these younger parts (often called exiles in IFS), it doesn’t stop there.
IFS recognizes that we all have a whole system of parts inside us—not just wounded child parts, but also protective parts that try to keep us safe in different ways. These protectors might show up as self-criticism, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or even numbing behaviors. Instead of just focusing on healing the inner child, IFS helps you understand and work with all of your parts, bringing balance and self-compassion to your entire system.
At the heart of IFS is Self—the calm, wise, compassionate presence within you. As you strengthen your connection with Self, both your inner child and your protective parts can relax, allowing for deeper healing and inner harmony.
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That’s completely normal! Some people connect with their parts easily, while others take time to develop that awareness. Parts often stay hidden because they’re used to being ignored, dismissed, or judged. In IFS, we go at your pace, creating a safe space where these parts can start to feel respected and seen. Over time, you’ll naturally build a stronger connection with them.
Many people have a strong aversion toward some of their parts—like the inner critic, anxious parts, or self-sabotaging parts. The key to healing isn’t to force yourself to “love” them right away but to get curious about why they act the way they do. Most of the time, these parts developed to protect you from something painful. When we approach them with understanding instead of judgment, they begin to soften, and transformation naturally follows.
in-person
online
IFS Therapist Near me?
I offer IFS therapy (or parts work therapy) in person in Pasadena, CA, or online for clients throughout California. If you're local, we can also create a hybrid schedule that blends in-person and virtual sessions to fit your needs.