Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
~ Rumi
At The Catalyst Center, we believe that true healing happens when we understand and care for all the different parts of ourselves. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps people navigate trauma, anxiety, depression, eating disorders and disordered eating, and relational struggles by fostering self-awareness and inner harmony.
IFS isn’t about changing who you are—it’s about helping you build a healthier relationship with yourself. Whether you’re seeking healing from past wounds, struggling with inner conflict, or looking for deeper personal growth, IFS provides a gentle, non-pathologizing way to reconnect with your true Self.
What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?
Healing Through Self-Discovery, Compassion, and Connection
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy is a powerful, evidence-based approach that helps people heal from trauma, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and eating disorders by working with different “parts” of the self. Instead of viewing symptoms as problems to eliminate, IFS encourages self-compassion, deep healing, and internal harmony.
IFS is based on the understanding that we all have multiple parts within us, each with its own role. Some parts, like the protective part, work hard to keep us safe. Others, like the self-critical part, try to prevent failure, while wounded parts carry unresolved pain from past experiences.
At our core, we also have a Self—a calm, compassionate, and wise inner presence. The goal of IFS therapy is to help you understand, heal, and integrate your parts, so your Self can lead with clarity and courage.
Who Can Benefit from Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy?
IFS therapy is a gentle, non-pathologizing approach that helps individuals and couples navigate emotional challenges, trauma recovery, and personal growth. IFS therapy also helps clients understand and heal their internal world, leading to greater emotional balance, clarity, and connection in daily life.
It is particularly effective for:
Healing from Trauma & PTSD
🌀 IFS provides a safe way to process and heal from past wounds, reducing trauma responses and fostering inner resilience.
Managing Anxiety & Depression
🌀 By identifying and soothing overactive protective parts, IFS helps reduce feelings of worry, sadness, and overwhelm.
Recovering from Eating Disorders & Body Image Struggles
🌀 IFS supports clients in understanding the protective roles of eating disorder behaviors and moving toward self-acceptance.
Strengthening Relationships & Attachment
🌀 Couples and individuals can use IFS to recognize patterns, heal relational wounds, and improve communication.
Overcoming Self-Criticism & Perfectionism
🌀 Many struggle with an inner critic or perfectionist part; IFS helps soften these patterns and build self-compassion.
Integrating Psychedelic Experiences & Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)
🌀 IFS provides a structured way to explore insights gained from KAP and other psychedelic therapies.
Deepening Spiritual Growth & Self-Discovery
🌀 Many use IFS to develop a stronger connection with their inner Self, creating clarity, peace, and alignment in their lives.
IFS Therapy Services at The Catalyst Center
At The Catalyst Center, we specialize in trauma recovery and integrative healing using Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. Whether you’re seeking deep healing from PTSD and complex trauma, looking for a psychedelic integration approach with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), or exploring IFS intensives for accelerated progress, we offer a range of services tailored to your needs.
Trauma Recovery & PTSD Treatment with IFS
IFS is a highly effective trauma therapy because it helps clients safely explore and unburden painful memories without re-traumatization. Many trauma survivors develop protective parts that suppress painful emotions or memories to survive. IFS therapy provides a gentle way to reconnect with these parts, process unresolved trauma, and restore inner balance.
🌀 IFS for Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) and Dissociation – Helping to regain a sense of safety and integration.
🌀 Healing Childhood Trauma & Attachment Wounds – Using IFS to address deep-rooted emotional pain.
🌀 IFS & EMDR for Trauma Recovery (see below for details on this powerful combination).
IFS & EMDR: A Powerful Trauma Therapy Combination
At The Catalyst Center, we combine Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to support deep trauma processing and nervous system regulation. This structured yet adaptable approach fosters profound, lasting healing and integration.
🌀 IFS Prepares the System for EMDR – Helping clients develop safety and Self-leadership before reprocessing traumatic memories.
🌀 EMDR Reduces Emotional Activation – Clearing stuck trauma responses while keeping IFS parts engaged in the healing process.
🌀 EMDR Helps Clients Access and Understand Wounded Parts – During reprocessing, EMDR can bring forward exiled parts holding trauma, pain, or limiting beliefs, allowing clients to connect with these parts safely and compassionately through an IFS lens.
Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) & Psychedelic Integration with IFS
IFS is a natural fit for Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), and psychedelics in general, because it provides a structured framework for working with the deep-seated emotional parts, protective mechanisms, and past wounds that often surface during psychedelic experiences. By helping clients navigate these inner dynamics, IFS fosters a deeper understanding, integration, and lasting therapeutic transformation throughout the KAP process.
🌀 Using IFS to Prepare for KAP – Identifying parts that may emerge during a journey.
🌀 Integrating Psychedelic Experiences – Helping clients process insights and emotional shifts post-session.
🌀Bridging Psychedelic Therapy & Trauma Healing – Ensuring clients feel supported in the days and weeks after treatment.
🌀Low-Dose KAP & IFS Intensives – A structured, immersive approach that combines low-dose ketamine with IFS to help clients access and process parts more safely and effectively over multiple sessions.
🌀 Low-Dose KAP, IFS, & Eating Disorder Recovery – Using low-dose ketamine alongside IFS therapy to help clients work through protective mechanisms tied to disordered eating patterns, self-criticism, and trauma, fostering deeper integration and self-compassion.
Other Ways We Use IFS in Therapy
🌀 IFS for Anxiety & Depression Recovery – Identifying and soothing parts that hold fear, worry, or sadness.
🌀 IFS Therapy for Eating Disorders & Body Image Healing – IFS therapy provides a compassionate and non-pathologizing approach to understanding the protective roles that disordered eating and body image struggles play in a person’s life. Rather than focusing solely on changing behaviors, IFS helps clients explore the parts of themselves that use food, restriction, or body control as a way to manage deeper emotional wounds, trauma, or unmet needs.
🌀 IFS for Relationship Challenges & Couples Therapy – IFS isn’t just for individuals—it can transform relationships by helping partners understand their own reactive patterns and emotional triggers. Many conflicts arise when protective parts take over, leading to defensiveness, disconnection, or repeated cycles of misunderstanding. Learn more about Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO), the IFS-based couples therapy model.
Susan Smith, LPC
Sarah Long, PsyD, LCP, CEDS
Kendra Doukas, MS, LMFT
Start Your Healing Journey with IFS Therapy
Whether you’re looking for trauma healing, psychedelic integration, or a deeper therapy experience through IFS intensives, our team at The Catalyst Center is here to support you.
There are two easy ways to connect with us. Call our office at 720-675-7123 and press “1” to be connected. Fill out the contact form to request an appointment or to learn more.