Internal Family Systems is a therapeutic model based on the idea that the mind is made up of different "parts," each with its own perspective, feelings, and protective role — often formed in response to earlier experiences. Rather than treating these parts as symptoms to eliminate, IFS works to understand what each one is protecting and helps them work together rather than in conflict.

Is IFS the same as "parts work"?

Yes — "parts work" is the common shorthand for the IFS approach: understanding and working with the different parts of yourself rather than treating your internal experience as a single, unified voice.

How is IFS different from just talking about your feelings?

IFS treats each part as having its own perspective worth understanding, rather than treating your internal experience as one voice to interpret. Instead of just discussing why you feel a certain way, we work with the actual part carrying that feeling — what it's trying to do, what it's afraid of, what it needs. This tends to create a different kind of shift than insight alone.

Do I need to believe in "parts" as literal to benefit from this?

No. IFS uses the language of parts as a useful framework, not a literal claim about how the mind is structured. Many people find it clarifying regardless of how literally they take the metaphor — it's the internal relationship that matters, not the theory behind it.

Can IFS be used alongside EMDR?

Yes, and I often do this. IFS can help build enough internal awareness and safety with a part carrying a difficult memory before EMDR processing begins, which tends to make the processing itself more sustainable and less overwhelming.

Parts Work (IFS) Therapy in NYC and across New York & Florida

What is IFS?

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a therapeutic model based on a simple but often overlooked idea: the mind isn't one unified voice, but a system of different "parts," each formed in response to something real in your life, each trying to protect you in its own way.

You might recognize this in yourself already: a part that pushes you to achieve no matter the cost, a part that shuts down the moment things feel too vulnerable, a part that criticizes you before anyone else gets the chance to. What's sometimes called "inner child work" in more popular language is often, in practice, the same territory of understanding and relating to the younger, more vulnerable parts that still carry old experiences. These parts aren't flaws or inconsistencies. They're internal strategies, most of them formed early, that once served a real protective purpose.

IFS has a growing evidence base and is increasingly used in the treatment of trauma, anxiety, depression, and relational difficulties.

How I use IFS

In my practice, IFS is integrated within a relational, psychodynamic framework rather than used as a standalone protocol.

Rather than trying to eliminate a part that seems unhelpful — the part that overworks, the part that avoids conflict, the part that pushes people away before they can leave first — we get curious about what that part is protecting you from, and what it's afraid would happen if it stopped doing its job. This is different from managing symptoms. It's building an internal relationship with the parts of yourself that have been running the show, often without your full awareness.

Over time, this work helps you lead from a steadier, more grounded internal center, what IFS refers to as “Self,” rather than feeling constantly pulled between competing internal demands.

This approach reflects my broader clinical philosophy: that lasting change happens not by silencing parts of yourself, but by understanding them.

This work may be a good fit if you:

Notice internal conflict between parts of yourself (e.g., a part that drives you and a part that's exhausted, a part that wants closeness and a part that pulls away)
Have a harsh inner critic that feels louder than any external voice
Find yourself repeating self-protective patterns (over-functioning, people-pleasing, emotional withdrawal) even when you understand where they come from
Want a non-pathologizing way of understanding your internal experience
Are curious about parts work but want it integrated within a deeper relational and psychodynamic approach rather than applied as a standalone technique

I offer IFS-informed therapy in NYC — both in-person and via telehealth — and across New York and Florida via telehealth. If you're considering this work and want to learn more about whether it might be a good fit, I offer a free consultation.

Internal Family Systems is a therapeutic model based on the idea that the mind is made up of different "parts," each with its own perspective, feelings, and protective role — often formed in response to earlier experiences. Rather than treating these parts as symptoms to eliminate, IFS works to understand what each one is protecting and helps them work together rather than in conflict.
Yes — "parts work" is the common shorthand for the IFS approach: understanding and working with the different parts of yourself rather than treating your internal experience as a single, unified voice.
IFS treats each part as having its own perspective worth understanding, rather than treating your internal experience as one voice to interpret. Instead of just discussing why you feel a certain way, we work with the actual part carrying that feeling — what it's trying to do, what it's afraid of, what it needs. This tends to create a different kind of shift than insight alone.
No. IFS uses the language of parts as a useful framework, not a literal claim about how the mind is structured. Many people find it clarifying regardless of how literally they take the metaphor — it's the internal relationship that matters, not the theory behind it.
Yes, and I often do this. IFS can help build enough internal awareness and safety with a part carrying a difficult memory before EMDR processing begins, which tends to make the processing itself more sustainable and less overwhelming.

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