by Susan Smith | Sep 24, 2025 | All Posts, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Susan Smith
Why Trauma Leaves Parts Stuck When trauma or chronic stress happens, and we’re not able to find a sense of safety and wellbeing, parts of us often stay activated or ‘on the ready’ in survival roles. Some parts take on protective jobs—controlling, avoiding, or shutting...
by Susan Smith | Sep 9, 2025 | All Posts, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Susan Smith
What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS)? Internal Family Systems therapy—often shortened to IFS—is a powerful, evidence-based model that views people through the lens of multiplicity. Instead of seeing ourselves as one fixed identity, IFS recognizes that we are made up...
by Susan Smith | May 5, 2025 | Internal Family Systems (IFS), Personal Growth, Susan Smith
Editor’s Note: Susan wrote this reflection on a snowy spring day. As we move deeper into the season of growth and light, her words about tending to dark emotions feel even more relevant. On this chilly, snowy day, I find myself revisiting a favorite post on dark...
by Susan Smith | Apr 14, 2025 | Demystifying Therapy, Family Dynamics, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Susan Smith, Trauma Recovery
Mother Hunger is a term coined by Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor Claire Bidwell Smith to describe the deep, insatiable longing for love that arises from a lack of nurturing maternal care. This unmet need can manifest as emotional distress, relational...
by Susan Smith | Mar 14, 2025 | Demystifying Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Susan Smith
Peace is this moment without judgment. That is all. This moment in the Heart-space where everything is welcome.— Dorothy Hunt In 2020, as a seasoned psychotherapist, I completed my Level 1 training with the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Institute. Despite my...
