How can IFS Therapy help you?
IFS Therapy Offers Gentle and Supportive Healing
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a psychotherapy approach that effectively helps you identify internal barriers and supports for healing. It can be applied to many challenges such as anxiety, trauma, addiction, and more.
IFS will help you:
- Find peace
- Improve confidence
- Understand yourself more deeply
- Resolve internal conflicts
- Decrease unwanted behaviors
IFS therapy helps you connect with your wise, compassionate Self. It’s like having an inner leader who can help you both understand and manage the “parts” of yourself that create struggle.
Most Viva clinicians have been trained in Internal Family Systems and receive ongoing supervision to stay ahead of advancements.
Work with One of Our IFS Therapists
Get to the root of what’s going on, so you can feel more like yourself again.
How have we helped?
Here are some experiences shared by our clients
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Our custom-tailored approach begins with our Intentional Matching Interview (IMI). This is where we’ll get to know what you’re looking for so that we can connect you with a therapist that aligns with your goals.
HOW DOES IFS THERAPY WORK?
Helps You Understand the Different Parts of Yourself
Imagine your mind as a family with different parts, such as a critical voice or a scared child. First, IFS helps you understand these "parts" and their reasons for acting the way they do. Then, by listening to their needs, you can calm them down and create more peace inside. As a result, this allows your true, calm self to take charge, like the wise parent in the family, guiding you with compassion and clarity.
Want to know more?
Here are some more frequently asked questions
Is there any research around IFS?
There are a number of studies showing the effectiveness of IFS therapy for a variety of challenges. IFS has been proven to be an effective way to improve general functioning in addition to well-being. It is also a promising framework to help with improving phobias, panic, generalized anxiety disorders, depression, and more.
Not only has IFS been shown to help with mental health, but participants have also seen physical health improvements such as increased confidence and resilience.
How powerful is IFS?
In a pilot study, out of 13 subjects who were diagnosed with PTSD and completed 16 sessions of IFS, 92% of the participants no longer met the PTSD criteria. In addition, there were significant decreases in depression, affect dysregulation, dissociation, disrupted self-perception, interpersonal relationships, and systems of meaning.
How is IFS different from other therapies?
IFS therapy avoids harmful labels and recognizes that you are not broken. It acknowledges that your challenges are simply coping mechanisms that evolved to protect you through life's stumbling blocks.
IFS allows you to see every part of yourself as valuable, without labeling any part as “good” or “bad”. It teaches a way to embrace all aspects of yourself with kindness, letting go of shame, fear, and self-criticism. This approach helps in healing, bringing together different parts of yourself, and being more understanding and gentle with yourself.
How long does IFS therapy take?
The path to healing is a personal journey; many factors influence its pace, including the intensity of challenges, session frequency, current life situation, and the patient's commitment to the therapeutic process. For example, someone challenged by anxiety who attends therapy twice a month would have a longer journey than someone attending therapy weekly.