Getting to Know Your Inner Parts: Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy offers a way to understand mixed feelings and familiar reactions. You might want to speak up, while another part of you worries about being criticised. Or you might notice an inner critic pushing you harder just when you most need rest.

IFS uses the language of "parts" to describe these different sides of your inner experience. Instead of trying to get rid of unwanted feelings or habits, it aims to meet them with curiosity and compassion, including the ones that now make life harder.

Where did IFS come from?

IFS was developed in the 1980s and 1990s by US family therapist Richard Schwartz. He noticed that clients often described inner conflicts as different "parts" of themselves, which seemed to relate to each other like members of a family. He applied ideas from family therapy to this inner world. A central idea in his work is that there are "no bad parts": even the reactions that cause us the most trouble are trying to help. IFS is now used by therapists around the world.

Parts and Self

IFS sees the mind as naturally made up of many parts, each with its own feelings, beliefs and intentions. This is seen as normal, not a sign of illness. The model describes three broad kinds of parts:

• Managers: protective parts that try to prevent pain in advance, through planning, perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-criticism or staying in control.
• Firefighters: protective parts that react when pain breaks through, trying to put out emotional "fires" quickly, for example through distraction, withdrawing, overeating or anger.
• Exiles: vulnerable parts that carry painful feelings such as shame, fear or loneliness, often linked to earlier hurts. Protective parts work hard to keep these feelings away.

Managers and firefighters are both protectors. They have the same goal, which is to keep painful feelings from overwhelming you. But they use different strategies, and they can end up in conflict with each other. When protectors are working very hard, they can take on extreme roles. A manager might become a relentless inner critic. A firefighter might turn to drinking, bingeing or shutting down. These roles often made sense at the time they developed. They can outlast their usefulness.

Burdens: beliefs and feelings parts carry

IFS suggests that difficult experiences can leave parts carrying burdens. These are intense emotions, such as fear, shame or grief, and unhelpful beliefs, such as "I'm worthless", "I'm unlovable" or "I'm not safe". Burdens are not who the part really is. They are more like a heavy load it picked up along the way. Exiles often carry the heaviest burdens, and protectors work hard to keep them hidden.

Once a burden is released, IFS suggests a part can return to its natural, valuable qualities. A part that was frozen in fear might become playful or creative again. A harsh critic might become a helpful sense of direction.

The Self: clarity, connection and harmony

At the heart of IFS is the Self. This is not a part. It is the core of who you are, and IFS holds that it can never be damaged, even by trauma. Schwartz describes the qualities of Self as the "8 Cs": calm, curiosity, compassion, clarity, confidence, courage, creativity and connectedness.

When protective parts are very active, Self can be hard to reach. It's like the sun behind clouds. As parts learn to "unblend", or step back a little, Self comes through more. From Self, you can see your parts clearly and relate to them with care rather than judgement. Parts begin to trust Self's leadership. The inner system can then shift from conflict and extremes towards balance and harmony, with each part contributing in its own healthy way.

These are ways of describing experience. They are not separate personalities or proven brain structures. "A part of me feels…" is simply a way of saying that different feelings can exist at once.

How the past can shape present reactions

IFS looks at how parts carry beliefs and protective habits linked to past experiences. Repeated criticism, for example, might lead to a belief like "I must never make a mistake". A habit that once helped someone cope may later leave them anxious, exhausted or afraid to try new things.

The aim is to understand what those parts fear, help them feel less burdened and make room for new responses. Not every difficulty starts in childhood. Current relationships, pressures and circumstances matter too. Exploring a reaction should never mean assuming a particular event must have happened.

An example: how IFS might look in practice

The following example is made up to show the process. It is not a real client.

Jess, 29, described a harsh inner voice that told her she wasn't working hard enough, even when she was exhausted. Rather than arguing with it, her psychologist invited her to get curious about it. Jess noticed the critic seemed to be trying to protect her from being seen as lazy, a fear that went back to school. As she understood what the critic was afraid of, it felt less urgent. She began to take breaks without the same guilt. The critic didn't vanish, but it became easier to hear it without obeying it.

What happens in a session?

Your psychologist may invite you to notice a feeling, thought or body sensation and describe it in your own way. Rather than arguing with a critical thought, you might explore what it is trying to prevent and how you feel towards it.

Noticing "a part of me is worried about letting people down" can create a little space between you and a familiar reaction. Therapy often follows a gentle sequence:

• Getting to know protectors: finding a part, noticing how you feel towards it, and learning about its job and its fears.
• Building trust: appreciating what the protector has been doing, and asking its permission before going further.
• Witnessing: with permission, getting to know the vulnerable part it protects, so that part feels seen and understood.
• Unburdening: helping the part release the beliefs and feelings it has been carrying.
• New roles: letting protectors know they can ease off, and choose roles that fit your life now.

Protectors set the pace, and nothing is forced. You can say when something doesn't fit, ask to pause or talk about another approach. IFS can also be combined with other therapies, such as CBT or ACT.

What does the research show?

Research on IFS is growing. A 2025 review in the Australian Psychologist mapped the studies so far, found promising results and identified directions for future research.

A 2026 randomised trial tested a 16-week online group IFS program for 60 adults with PTSD. PTSD symptoms reduced substantially. Participants rated the program highly and attended most sessions. A pilot study found that IFS reduced depression in female university students. A trial of an IFS-based program for people with rheumatoid arthritis found improvements in pain, depression and self-compassion.

Further trials, including a follow-up to the PARTS study, are under way. They will help show who IFS helps most and how.

Common questions

Does talking about "parts" mean I have multiple personalities?

No. Parts are a way of describing the everyday experience of mixed feelings, like "part of me wants to go, and part of me doesn't". Dissociative identity disorder is a separate condition that needs specialist care.

Is IFS safe?

Like any therapy that explores painful experiences, IFS can bring up strong feelings. A trained psychologist should work at a pace that suits you, respect parts that aren't ready to change and never suggest memories or explanations. It's fine to ask about your psychologist's IFS training.

Could IFS suit you?

Many people find the parts approach a helpful way to understand self-criticism, inner conflict, anxiety, low mood or reactions linked to hard experiences. It can feel less like fighting yourself and more like getting to know yourself. Your psychologist can talk with you about whether IFS suits your goals, and how it might be combined with other approaches.

Getting support at Invision Psychology

Our psychologists offer Internal Family Systems therapy at our clinics in Rockhampton (2/72 Bolsover Street) and Yeppoon (3/26 James Street), and by telehealth for people across Central Queensland and beyond.

• You don't need to know which therapy you want. Your first appointment is a chance to talk about what's happening and what you'd like to change.
• Medicare: with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, you may be able to claim a Medicare rebate for up to 10 sessions each calendar year. See our fees.
• NDIS: we work with self-managed and plan-managed NDIS participants.

Make an enquiry or call 07 5641 4888.

If you need help now

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 000. For 24/7 support:

• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636
• 13YARN (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people): 13 92 76
• Kids Helpline (ages 5–25): 1800 55 1800

An appointment enquiry is not an emergency service.

About the author

Alex Parkes BPsychSci, GradDipPsych, MPsych, MAAPi
Founder and Principal Psychologist, Invision Psychology. Level 1 trained Internal Family Systems practitioner.

Published September 2026 · Last reviewed September 2026 · Next review due September 2027

This article gives general information based on published research. It is not a substitute for personalised advice from a qualified health professional.

References and further reading

• IFS Institute. The Internal Family Systems model outline.
• Schwartz, R. C., & Sweezy, M. (2020). Internal Family Systems Therapy (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
• Exploring the evidence for Internal Family Systems therapy: a scoping review of current research, gaps, and future directions (2025). Australian Psychologist.
• A randomized controlled trial of an online group-based internal family systems treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder: the PARTS study (2026). Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy.
• Haddock, S. A., et al. (2017). The efficacy of Internal Family Systems therapy in the treatment of depression among female college students: a pilot study. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy.
• Shadick, N. A., et al. (2013). A randomized controlled trial of an Internal Family Systems-based psychotherapeutic intervention on outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis: a proof-of-concept study. Journal of Rheumatology, 40(11), 1831.
• Schwartz, R. C. (2021). No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model. Sounds True.
• Anderson, F. G. (2021). Transcending Trauma: Healing Complex PTSD with Internal Family Systems. PESI Publishing.
• Sweezy, M., & Mose, M. (2025). Internal Family Systems (IFS) for OCD. Psychology Today.
• Psychology Today. Internal Family Systems therapy.