Internal Family Systems (IFS) THerapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a compassionate, nonjudgmental way of understanding yourself and how you show up in the world. It’s based on the idea that we all have different “parts” within us—these are like inner voices or aspects of our personality. Some parts may feel protective, like the side of you that steps up when things feel overwhelming or scary. Others might carry the weight of past pain or trauma, like a younger part of you that still holds onto sadness, fear, or shame. Every part of you has a role, and every part has good intentions, even if its methods sometimes feel like they create more harm than help.
What makes IFS special is that it doesn’t see any part of you as bad or broken. Instead, it invites curiosity and compassion. You get to know these inner parts as you would a friend or loved one, exploring their needs, fears, and stories. In doing so, you can begin to heal wounds, ease internal conflicts, and create a sense of harmony within yourself.
At the core of IFS is your Self—the wise, calm, grounded part of you that’s always there, even if it feels buried under stress or hardship. Self is like the inner caretaker who can guide and nurture all your parts. When we connect with this part of ourselves, we can begin to lead our lives from a place of clarity, courage, and compassion.
At Homebody Psychotherapy, IFS is more than just a therapeutic tool—it’s a way of empowering you to feel whole and connected in a world that often tries to fragment us. For queer BIPOC folks especially, whose voices and experiences are so often silenced or marginalized, IFS provides a framework for reclaiming your story, embracing all the parts of you, and finding healing in a way that honors your full humanity.
Through this approach, therapy becomes a space where you’re not fixing or changing who you are but instead building relationships with yourself that are rooted in kindness, curiosity, and understanding. It’s a journey toward seeing yourself as you truly are: complex, resilient, and worthy of love and care.
An IFS-Informed Approach
While I am not formally trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), my therapeutic approach is deeply informed by its lens and values. IFS offers a beautiful framework for understanding how our inner worlds operate, and I’ve found that its principles resonate deeply with the work I do. In our sessions, we might explore the different parts of you—those protective, vulnerable, and even resistant aspects—and approach them with curiosity and compassion, just as IFS encourages.
My work incorporates this perspective in a way that aligns with Homebody Psychotherapy’s mission of creating safe, empowering spaces for queer BIPOC to heal and thrive. Together, we’ll build an understanding of your inner experiences that honors your unique story and your capacity for growth, even if we aren’t following the formal IFS structure step by step.
This means we’ll focus on nurturing your connection to your inner wisdom—the part of you that knows what you need to feel more at ease and whole.
