Can You Do IFS Therapy by Yourself? A Guide to Self-Led Parts Work
You've been reading about Internal Family Systems therapy. You understand the basics (that your mind is naturally divided into parts, each with its own perspective and protective role). You're intrigued by the idea of befriending these parts instead of fighting them. But you're wondering: Can I just do this on my own?
It's one of the most common questions I hear as an IFS therapist, and the answer isn't a simple yes or no. The truth is more nuanced and more empowering than you might think.
Why you feel torn between two choices and how IFS therapy helps
Many people feel torn between two choices. You may lean toward one option, then pull back and question yourself. This kind of inner conflict can create tension and worry. Internal Family Systems therapy offers a gentle way to understand these moments. It helps you notice the different parts of you that want different things and shows how they each try to protect you. When you slow down and listen to these parts, the pressure eases and clarity grows.
Understanding and Healing Shame Through IFS Therapy
What if shame wasn’t a flaw, but a part trying to protect us from rejection and exposure. Through the Internal Family Systems (IFS), we can begin to see shame not as the enemy, but as a misunderstood guardian that longs to be seen and relieved of its burden.
How IFS Helps Heal Trauma
IFS therapy helps you heal trauma not by forcing it to surface, but by building trust with the parts of you that carry pain, and the ones that protect it.
When Your Inner Critic Sounds Like the Voice of Reason
Your inner critic often sounds helpful, but it’s usually just scared. IFS therapy helps you meet it with compassion, not shame, so it can finally rest.
How IFS Therapy Can Help You Stop Self-Sabotaging
Self-sabotage isn't about weakness. It's often a protective part trying to shield you from pain. IFS therapy helps you meet that part with compassion.
Setting Boundaries with Internal Family Systems: Negotiating with Your Parts
You know you need boundaries. You've read the books, listened to the podcasts, practiced saying no. But when the moment comes, you cave. You say yes when you mean no. You over-explain. You let people cross lines you swore you'd hold.
Here's what most boundary advice misses: It's not that you don't know how to set boundaries. Rather, it's that parts of you are terrified of what will happen if you do. Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy offers a revolutionary understanding of why boundaries feel impossible and how to heal the parts that block them. This isn't about learning better boundary scripts or practicing assertiveness. It's about understanding the protective system that believes boundaries = danger.
How Internal Family System Helps You Understand Your Inner World
Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy views you as a system of inner “parts” led by a calm, wise Self. This article explains what IFS therapy is, where it came from, and how it can help you understand your patterns in relationships, self worth, and decision making in a kinder, more precise way.