What is Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy?

Have you ever felt like one part of you wants one thing, but another part of you wants something totally different? When we are torn in different directions it can feel like there is an internal struggle happening inside us.

I am proud to share that I recently completed level 1 training at the IFS Institute, and I am very excited to offer IFS therapy at Thunder Bay Naturopathic Clinic. IFS is a psychotherapy approach that honors the complexity of being human through the understanding that we experience and interact with the world through our “parts.” For example, at work you may have a “professional” part that helps you fulfill your responsibilities. You may have parts of yourself that feel angry or sad about the relationships in your life. We all have “inner children” that didn’t receive something we needed when we were young.

A core belief in IFS is that there are “no bad parts.” Those parts of ourselves that are hard to love usually have important wisdom for us, if we just know how to listen. Creating a new relationship with one’s self by embracing all of our parts with compassion and understanding is truly transformative, and this is why I am passionate about IFS therapy.

If you are interested in learning more about IFS, check out this video for a detailed explanation.

By: Winston Loh, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), IFS-I Level 1 Trained